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Rocky Mountain National Park's AIR program is open to artists of all creative disciplines.
During the summer season, selected artists will serve in a two-week residency within Rocky Mountain National Park. During their residency, selected artists will reside in a rustic cabin located inside Rocky Mountain National Park where they can gain inspiration and create artistic works. They will also share two public programs.
Artist-in-Residence program at Beaver Meadows Visitor Center
NPS Photo
Check Back in April for Details on the 2026 Artist in Residence Program
Artists from many different artistic mediums have participated in Rocky's Artist in Residence program!
During Their Residency, Each Artist will Host Two Public Programs
Each artist will present one 60-to 90-minute-long lecture-based program. These presentations will take place at 1 p.m. in the Beaver Meadows Visitor Center Auditorium and will be similar to the presentations featured during the Winter Speaker Series.
Resident artists will also facilitate a drop-in style interactive program, where visitors can drop in, visit with the artist, and participate in a hands-on activity. These programs will take place at Fall River Visitor Center. Expect to spend approximately 15-30 minutes at these programs. All drop-in programs will be family friendly and designed for visitors of all ages. Art supplies will be provided and participants will not need any previous knowledge or skills to participate.
An example of collecting sound recordings next to a lake
Courtesy Kite Davenport - 2025 AIR
Additional Program Details:
At the completion of their residency, each artist will donate a fully furnished piece of work representative of their stay in Rocky Mountain National Park to the park’s unofficial collection managed by the Rocky Mountain Conservancy.
Rocky Mountain Conservancy will hold the rights to each piece of work and the National Park Service will have the rights to share the donated works with the public.
For those with Scholarly Inspiration, Consider the Scholar in Residence Program
Inspired by the Artist in Residence program, the Scholar in Residence program follows the tradition of connecting scholars, writers, historians, scientists, and other professionals to Rocky Mountain National Park.
Scholar In Residence proposals should be specific to the natural and cultural resources of Rocky Mountain National Park, but could include projects from social science, history, natural science, or communications.
Applications for 2026 are no longer being accepted. If you think your artistic work is a better fit for the Scholar in Residence program, visit https://rmconservancy.org/work-with-us/employment/ to learn more.
2025 AIR Pierre Jalbert
NPS Photo
Brief History of the Relationship Between Arts and National Parks
Since the late 1800s, there has been a special connection between our national parks and the arts. Artists like George Catlin, Thomas Cole, Thomas Moran, Albert Bierstadt, and more played a key role in helping to draw attention to the beauty and wonders found in many national parks.
Recognizing the important role that art has played in the history of our national parks, Rocky Mountain National Park was among the first national parks to offer an Artist-In-Residence Program. Since 1984, Rocky Mountain National Park has hosted over 200 artists through this program, including authors, composers, jewelry makers, musicians, painters, photographers, poets, quilters, sculptors, and more.
Both the Artist in Residence and Scholar in Residence programs are generously supported by the Rocky Mountain Conservancy!
Rocky Mountain National Park is one of over 50 NPS sites that currently host an Artist-In-Residence program. The AIR program looks different at each participating/hosting park.
