Sculptor-in-Residence

Ravine Studio

Saint-Gaudens National Historical Park hosts the oldest continual artist residency program in the National Park Service. Begun in 1969 by the Saint-Gaudens Memorial, the presence of a figurative sculptor continues to inform and inspire visitors to this day.

The sculptor-in-residence works in the historic Ravine Studio, located at the forest edge overlooking Blow-Me-Up Ravine. Visitors witness the artist work and learn about the process of sculpture. The sculptor-in-residence also conducts a series of sculpture workshops. Classes can include portraiture, depicting the natural world, or more advanced classes in mold-making. The program runs annually from June to October. Visit Becoming a Sculptor-in-Resident to learn more about the application process.

The sculptor-in-residence welcomes visitors into the Ravine Studio through October 12.

The park’s nonprofit partner, the Saint-Gaudens Memorial, continues to support the Sculptor-in-Residency program.

 

Heidi Mortensen in the Ravine Studio, 2026

2026 Sculptor-in-Residence

Heidi Mortensen investigates displacement, loss, connection, and memory through sculpture and installation. Drawing from personal history and often incorporating artifacts salvaged from a fire that destroyed her family's house, her work examines the precariousness of the places we call home and delves into our reliance on the mutable realm of remembering.

Heidi Mortensen received an MFA in Sculpture Dimensional Studies from Alfred University, New York, and a BFA in Sculpture from the University of Hawaiʻi. Between degrees, she pursued atelier training in figure sculpting at the Barcelona Academy of Art and the Athens Sculpture Atelier, deepening her understanding of the architecture of the human body.

Her detailed work involves casting in glass, metal, resin, and plaster, incorporating wood, thread, fabric, ash, and personal objects. By combining enduring and ephemeral materials, she creates work that mirrors the fragility and persistence of memory itself. In 2025, she presented a solo exhibition at Urban Glass Window Gallery (Brooklyn, NY), and her work has been included in group exhibitions across the country, including at Manifest Gallery (Cincinnati, OH) and Le Mieux Galleries (New Orleans, LA). She received first place at Slice: A Juried Cross-Section of Regional Art at Pence Gallery (Davis, CA), and in 2024 was awarded a fellowship to the Cité Internationale des Arts residency in Paris, France. Mortensen lives and works in New Orleans, LA.

 

2022-2023 sculptor-in-residence Sean Hunter Williams

NPS/Rob Strong

Past Sculptors-in-Residence

Bruce Brown (1969), Arthur Alvin (1970), George R. Anthonisen (1971), Tom Miles (1977), Robert Carsten (1979-80, 1982-83), Linda T. Dewing (1981), Edward Joseph Gerwe (1984-85), Suzanne Lupien (1986-89), Marilyn Wounded Head (1991), Pauline Segal (1992), Darcy Jones (1993), Rosario Moreno (1994), Lawrence J. Nowlan, Jr. (1995-97, 2002-03), Helene Massey Hemmans (1998-2001), William J. Williams (2004-07), Leesa Haapapuro (2008), Steve Voitko (2009-10), Deb Chory (2011), Amanda Sisk (2012-13), Jon Reideman (2014), Cliff Page (2015), Morgan Dummitt (2016), Carol Foley (2017), Daniel Willig (2018-19), Zoe Dufour (2020-21), Sean Hunter Williams (2022-23), and Davis Fandiño (2024-2025).