National Park Service LogoU.S. Department of the InteriorNational Park ServiceNational Park Service
National Park Service:  U.S. Department of the InteriorNational Park Service Arrowhead
Petrified Forest National ParkOnyx Bridge within the Painted Desert, Photo by Marge Post/NPS
view map
text size:largestlargernormal
printer friendly
Petrified Forest National Park
Artist In Residence
Begay painting
NPS/JANET FERNANDES
Professional artist/author Shonto Begay creates work at the Painted Desert Inn, Petrified Forest National Park. September 2006.

Artists have impacted the formation, expansion and direction of our national parks. The work of many artists has also assisted in providing perspectives at parks that create meaningful experiences for our visitors.

Today, artists continue to document national park landscapes with contemporary approaches and techniques. Artists from a wide variety of mediums draw upon the multifaceted quality of parks for inspiration. These artists translate the national park’s purpose, as a place of pleasure and preservation, into images which bring others enjoyment and a deeper understanding of the parks to many Americans who may never visit.

Petrified Forest National Park’s Artist-In-Residence Program continues this tradition. Founded in 2006 as part of the park's Centennial Celebration, the program continues to provide inspiration to park visitors.

2009 Schedule of Artists-in-Residence To Be Announced.

 
Hirschmann, with camera on tripod, talks to visitors
COURTESY/DAVID VELK
Professional photographer Fred Hirschmann talks to visitors taking part in a photography hike he coordinated during his residence. April 2006.

The Artist-In-Residence Program at Petrified Forest National Park offers professional visual, performing, and literary artists the opportunity to pursue their artistic discipline while being surrounded by the park’s inspiring landscape. Selected artists stay in park housing for two-week periods from April through October. No stipend is provided. Artists must be prepared to work in high desert, summer weather conditions that include high winds, low relative humidity and temperatures reaching 100 degrees Fahrenheit during the day and lows reaching roughly 40 degrees at night.

The finished artwork will characterize Petrified Forest National Park for present and future generations and will offer the public an opportunity to see our heritage through the eyes and ears of the contributing artists, thereby fulfilling one of the program’s main purposes.

 
Giffords discusses artwork
NPS/T. SCOTT WILLIAMS
Visual artist/professional conservator Gloria Giffords talks to students at Northland Pioneer College about the paintings she completed at the park. September 2006.

Participating artists are asked to donate to the park an original piece of artwork from, and representative of, their residency in Petrified Forest National Park. Donated artwork must be received by a date determined by the Museum Curator. Artwork from visual artists should be framed with glass or prepared for hanging before donation. 

Artists are also required to provide copyright for the donated artwork to the National Park Service. Commercial use of any donated artwork will not be allowed once it is selected and accessioned into the park’s permanent museum collection. Artwork may be used in exhibits, educational purposes, and by the Petrified Forest Museum Association.

The artist retains a royalty-free, nonexclusive use license under the copyright of the art. The National Park Service owns the artwork and the rights to reproduce it. Under those rights, the artist has a license to make use of the artwork for his or her purposes. Publication information must include the language: “This artwork was produced under the Artist-In-Residence Program at Petrified Forest National Park.”

A jury panel of judges will select one or more pieces of visual artwork from the previous year’s donations, to become part of the park’s permanent museum collection. Selection is based on artistic caliber, the artwork’s ability to communicate the values and processes of Petrified Forest National Park, and to meet the needs and scope of the park’s museum collection.

 
Klett discusses artwork
NPS/T. SCOTT WILLIAMS
Visual Artist/ASU Regents Professor Mark Klett gives a talk about work he produced at the park. October 2006.
Artists will present two public programs during their residency. This interaction can be tailored to an individual’s medium, interest, and experience using only a few hours during the residency period. Programs can be demonstrations, talks, exploratory walks, or performances. In addition to the park, the nearby community college art department can be used as a public program venue. Artists must provide their own supplies and equipment for these presentations. Artists are also requested to give a public presentation in their community about their residency experience.
 
Williams is backlit by the setting sun as she paints.
NPS/T. Scott Williams
Visual Artist Heather Serfling Williams creates at Kachina Point during her residence. May 2006.

How to Apply

Artists must submit application materials and art samples exactly as indicated on the application form. Insufficient or excess materials are causes for application rejection, as is an artist's proposed use of a work already in progress as a residency project.

Applications will be accepted for the 2009 program with postmarks dated through March 15, 2009. Applications postmarked after the deadline will not be considered.

A panel of judges from diverse artistic disciplines will choose six finalists and two alternates. Selection is based on artistic merit, the Statement of Purpose, and appropriateness to a national park residency.

Notification of finalists will be made by April 1, 2009.

Please print the application form and return with required materials.

 
woman painting
NPS/T. Scott Williams
Patricia Cummins captures the Painted Desert with bright colors. July 2007.

Petrified Forest National Park’s Artist-In-Residence Program is managed by the Division of Resource Management, aspiring to share with the public the scenic beauty and stories of Petrified Forest National Park through the world of art. The works completed under this program contribute to the public understanding and appreciation of our national parks and create a legacy preserved for future generations.

For more information contact the Chief of Resource Management at (928) 524-6228 ext. 267.

 

2008 Schedule of Artists-in-Residence
Michael Kabotie - Painter
Miriam Sagan - Writer, Poet
David Brock - Print Maker, Painter
Joella Jean Mahoney - Painter
Francis Kazemek - Writer
Joe Decker - Photographer, Digital Imaging
Robert Dorlac - Painter
Amy Hautman - Painter, Illustrator
Cameron Zebrun - Painter, Sculptor
Shonto Begay - Painter, Author, Poet
Matthew Yates & Rosanna Salonia - Photographers

2007 Artists-in-Residence:
Mary C. Nasser
Rebecca Wissehr
Ruane Miller
Patricia Rottino Cummins
Keith Ekiss
Robert deJonge

 
telephone poles mark Historic Route 66  

Did You Know?
Petrified Forest National Park is the only national park unit to protect a section of Historic Route 66!

Last Updated: February 18, 2009 at 12:18 EST