Fri, Apr 3rd, 2020 - 4:07pm
June 15, 2020 - 12:52pm | By Chris Larson
The Artist in Residency Program is a partnership between the North Dakota Parks & Recreation Department and the North Dakota Council on the Arts, where three artists are chosen to each spend one week in a North Dakota State Park. The goal of the program is to support North Dakota artists in creating works of art that showcase participating state parks while providing opportunities for visitors to develop artistic skills as well as a deeper appreciation of the parks and the artworks inspired by them.
"The North Dakota Parks & Recreation Department is pleased to continue this important partnership with the North Dakota Council on the Arts this year. This partnership brings exceptional artists to our state parks to share the creativity of their work and the beauty of nature with park visitors that can inspire generations to come," said Andrea Travnicek, the Director of the North Dakota Parks & Recreation Department.
This year Turtle River State Park will host Megan Hanson (Grand Forks) July 12-19 and Lewis & Clark State Park will host Shalini Agarwal (Fargo) August 2-9. New this year is an extended residency during the winter season. Cross Ranch State Park will host Johnathan Campbell (Bismarck) February 7-17, 2021.
The program is trying something new, an extended residency in the winter season, affording the artist an opportunity additional time to work while showcasing the park during the off-season.
The Artist in Residency program recruits a wide variety of artists, including performing, literary, and visual artists. The participating state parks provide overnight accommodations for the artist to stay in during their residency as well as the venue where their activities will take place. The North Dakota Council on the Arts provides the artists a stipend depending upon the length of the residency. Artists are required to do a minimum of two presentations and/or workshops that are open to the public. In addition, artists are to provide the state parks with a piece of their artwork that represents their residency.
The public is invited and encouraged to participate in the Artist in Residency activities. Due to CODIV 19, adaptations may be put into place to comply with CDC guidelines and any gathering restrictions that may be in place under the ND Smart Restart guidelines. Such activities will showcase artwork inspired by the state parks and will provide various opportunities for park visitors of all ages and skill levels to discover or further develop their artistic skills. Details surrounding these opportunities at Turtle River State Park, Lewis & Clark State Park, and Cross Ranch State Park will be posted on their respective Facebook pages via event listings as details and logistics become available.
This project is supported in part by a grant from the North Dakota Council on the Arts, which receives funding from the state legislature and the National Endowment for the Arts. These agencies have been collaborating for this program for the last 12 years. In that time, eleven of the North Dakota State Parks have hosted over 25 local artists. More information on the program is available at www.nd.gov/arts.
The events within the North Dakota state parks are free of charge in accordance with a $7 daily or $35 annual pass per motorized vehicle. The mission of the North Dakota Parks and Recreation Department is to offer a diversity of recreation opportunities and sustainably manage resources.
