Grand Canyon artist-in-residence participants announced for 2012

Grand Canyon, Ariz. — Grand Canyon National Park’s Artist-in-Residence program is pleased to announce its South Rim Artist-in-Residence (SR AiR) selections for the October 2011 – September 2012 season, and the North Rim Artist-in-Residence (NR AiR) selections for the May – October 2012 season.

Grand Canyon’s artist-in-residence program welcomes not only artists who work in the long-honored traditions of representational landscape photography and painting, but also encourages the involvement of artists working in new or experimental mediums, and whose art is in direct advocacy of the Park’s environmental, cultural and historical values.

While in-residence, the South Rim artists have the opportunity to live in the historic upstairs apartment of the Verkamp’s Visitor Center, perched on the rim. The North Rim artist space is in an historic and rustic two-room cabin in the cool shade of the ponderosa pines.

A panel of professional artists and administrators along with National Park Service representatives selected this year’s artists from a pool of 98 applicants on the South Rim, and 70 applicants on the North Rim.

The SR AiR program is honored to be hosting the following artists for the October 2011 – September 2012 season.

October 6, 2011 – Cellist Rhonda Rider returned to present Grand Canyon-inspired compositions created by contemporary composers for her residency (SR AiR February 2011)

October 16 – 23– Night sky photographer Stan Honda – New York City, NY

October 24 – November 21 – Sculptor Michael Yinger – Brooklyn NY

November 21 – December 21 – Filmmaker, animator, screenwriter Lares Feliciano – Oakland, CA

January 6 – 31 – Drawer and painter Michele Lauriat – Wakefield, MA

February 1 – 29 – Jeweler Georgia Orme – Bath, England

March – 2012 marks the inaugural year of a Master Artist residency, inviting well-established artists to spend one to two weeks at the South Rim working on their art, gaining inspiration from the canyon and presenting one public program.

Pete Fromm, award-winning Montana outdoor/fiction writer, will be in-residence  March 14 – 18, and will read from his work in an Evening Program on March 17, 7:00 p.m. at Shrine of the Ages.

Shonto Begay, renowned contemporary Native American painter, will be in-residence March 19 – 31, with an evening artist talk on March 24, 7:00 p.m. at Shrine of the Ages. This will be the keynote presentation for the annual Archeology Day celebration, and will focus on Shonto’s work in-context with his strong ties to Navajo tradition, art and culture.

April 8 – 30 – New media, digital photography and designer Jing Zhou – Ocean, NJ

May 1 – 31 – Paper and ice sculptor/photographer Deborah Bird – Leicester, England

June 1 – 21 – Composer James Romig – Macomb, IL

June 22 – July 15 – Painter Melinda S. Esparza – Tucson, AZ

July 16 – August 7 – Composer and sound artist Erik DeLuca – Charlottesville, VA

August 8 – 31 – Composer Linda J. Chase – Arlington, MA

September 1 – 30 – Fabric artist Bobbie Sullivan – Scituate, MA

The NR AiR program is honored to be hosting the following artists for the May – October 2012 season.

 May 21 – June 11 – Painter Elizabeth Black and photographer Chris Brown, Boulder, CO

June 12 – July 2 – Painter Dennis Farris – Fort Worth, TX

July 16 – August 6 – Silk painter Nancy McKay – Ann Arbor, MI

August 13 – September 3 – Encaustic painter Rodney Thompson – Redding, CA

September 4 – September 24 – Textile artist Bobbie Sullivan – Scituate, MA

While in-residence, each artist will present a minimum of three public outreach programs, presentations or performances that are free, family-friendly and open to the public. For information on these programs, please check at a visitor center information desk or contact the AiR coordinators:

Rene_Westbrook(at)nps.gov (SR AiR program coordinator), 928-638-7324, and

Robin_Tellis(at)nps.gov (NR AiR program coordinator), 928-638-7739.

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1 Comment

  • sudipta das January 20, 2012 at 10:18 am

    Hi i am an artist form india i want to apply this resedency program for the next session when i can apply please send me the details.

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