Artist-in-residence Lisa Spangler holds up a sketchbook for participants in a nature journaling workshop.
NPS/Irene Owsley
The creative arts have served an influential role in the history of the National Park Service, inspiring people to travel, dream, and explore. For this reason, artists often rise to the forefront of efforts to preserve America's most treasured landscapes. Today, this legacy continues through Artist in Residence (AiR) programs. Through these programs, selected artists are provided a residency period in a national park to find inspiration, create artistic works, and share their vision with the public.
Valles Caldera National Preserve is one of more than 50 NPS sites that currently host an Artist in Residence program. Selected artists participate in a two- to four-week residency in historic lodging on-site. Lodging is provided to the artist in exchange for one public art program and one donation of an original piece of art inspired by the residency. Artists are responsible for their own transportation to and from the park, but the National Park Service provides a vehicle for on-site use. Artists are responsible for their own meals; the nearest grocery store is about 35 minutes away in the town of Los Alamos.
Are You Interested in Being an Artist-In-Residence?
We invite artists from all creative disciplines and genres to apply for the Artist in Residence program. The application period for 2025 has closed. Please check back next year!
To Apply:
First, submit an application via Volunteer.gov. Note: Application period is open from March 1-14, 2025.
After submitting your Volunteer.gov application, interested applicants must send in the following documents to lauren_ray@nps.gov:
Your Resume (4 pages maximum; do not include personal photographs)
Summary of Creative Works (2 pages maximum). Examples include exhibits, galleries, performances, recordings, publications, shows, etc.
Statement of Purpose (2 pages maximum). Share why you are interested in serving as an Artist in Residence, what you hope to gain from this experience, how you expect to grow as an artist, how your work contributes to the National Park Service values of stewardship, education, recreation and preservation, and also describe your ability to live in a rustic setting within a national park.
Public Program Concept (1 page). Selected applicants will be asked to provide at least one public program during their residency. These are generally talks/presentations open to the public and could be 30-60 minutes in length and include a performance, discussion, or demonstration of your works. Please provide a brief concept outline of your public presentation.
Submit Samples of Recent Works
Visual, Textile, & Sculpture Artists:
Provide up to 6 images embedded within a Word or PDF document. Clearly label each image with your name and the work's title. Images should focus only on the actual artwork; extraneous backgrounds, mattes, or frames should not be included. For each work, clearly list: name of work, medium, and dimensions.
Language Artists:
Provide up to 6 short works or 1 long work within a Word or PDF document. Clearly label each work with your name and its title. Examples include up to 6 short poems or other short writing samples of artistic merit (1 page each) or one short story, essay, or manuscript excerpt (10 pages max).
Provide up to 6 short selections (less than 6 minutes total) or 1 long selection (about 10 minutes total). Upload your submission to YouTube/Vimeo or share an existing YouTube/Vimeo link embedded within a Word or PDF document. Uploads may be public or private.
Clearly label each work with your name and its title, please.
Additional Program Details
When the application window closes, a panel of judges will select five artists to participate in the program. Selected artists will have a choice of a two- to four-week residency from June through October.
Selected artists will provide at least one public program. At the completion of their residency, the artists will donate a completed piece of work representative of their stay to the park. Valles Caldera National Preserve will hold the rights to the piece of work and the National Park Service will have the rights to share the donated works with the public.
Valles Caldera National Preserve has selected five artists to take part in its inaugural Artist in Residence (AiR) program during the 2025 summer season. Through the AiR program, selected artists will immerse themselves in the park’s natural and cultural landscapes to create original artistic works inspired by the setting. During their residencies, they will also share their work with the public through presentations and interactive workshops. Meet this year's artists!
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