Artist-In-Residence Program

 

Image Courtesy Alexandra Basset - RMNP 2026 AIR Alexandra Basset working on a painting in a studio

Rocky Mountain National Park, in partnership with Rocky Mountain Conservancy, is pleased to announce that the 2026 Artists-in-Residence have been selected.

Six talented artists have been selected to serve in a two-week residency that will take place during the summer season, starting in late May and ending mid-September.

The Rocky Mountain National Park 2026 Artists-in-Residence and their primary artistic mediums are:

• Francisco Lujan Villalobos, Antonio Pereira, and Santiago Suarez of the band Pavolv's Bell - Musicians
• Daniela Mihaita – Sculpture and Ceramics
• Alexandra Bassett – Painting and Drawing
• Kara Lynn Bressler – Painting and Writing
• Theodore "Ted" Tahquechi – Photography and 3D Tactile Prints
• Rebecca Shewmaker – Textiles and Thread Painting

When available, all program details will be shared on the park’s calendar at https://www.nps.gov/romo/planyourvisit/calendar.htm

This impactful program is generously supported by Rocky Mountain Conservancy. Rocky Mountain National Park has hosted over 200 artists, including authors, painters, poets, composers, sculptors, quilters, photographers, musicians, and more.

 

Artist-in-Residence program at Beaver Meadows Visitor Center

NPS Photo

Artists from many different artistic mediums have participated in Rocky's Artist in Residence program!

During their two-week residency, each artist will host two public programs

• The first program will be a lecture-style presentation that will be held in the Beaver Meadows Visitor Center Auditorium. This presentation will be similar to the presentations featured during the Winter Speaker Series.

• The second program will be 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 in the Fall River Visitor Center Discovery Room.
  • Expect to spend approximately 15-30 minutes at these programs.
  • All drop-in programs are 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 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.

 

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  How to Apply for the RMNP AIR Program

  Interested in being an Artist-in-Residence? Click here for application details.

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  History of RMNP's AIR Program

  Learn about the history of RMNP's Artist-in-Residence Program

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  See Frequently Asked Questions & Answers

  Have questions about the Artist-in-Residency program? Explore the frequently asked questions and answers.