Advisor for the Artist-in-Residence Program
Kesler Woodward, the park's first Artist-in-Residence, has painted Alaska and the circumpolar North, from Hudson Bay in Canada to the Bering Strait and Siberia, for more than 35 years. An Alaska resident since 1977, his work is included in all major public collections in Alaska and in museum collections on both coasts of the United States. He is Professor of Art, Emeritus, at the University of Alaska, where he taught painting for twenty years before retiring to paint full time in 2000. Kesler serves as the program advisor and on the selection committee.
Program overview
Each residency takes place during a ten day period between June and September. Artists stay at the historic East Fork Cabin at Mile 43 on the Park Road. Artists are responsible for their own food and transportation. No stipend is provided. Each artist may bring with them one adult guest for the length of the residency. In exchange for the use of the cabin, each artist is expected --
- to donate one art piece to the park. The art may be selected for display in various venues throughout the park including the Eielson Visitor Center, the Denali Visitor Center, and the Murie Science and Learning Center. Finished pieces should not be larger than 60 inches in any direction, and should not require the park to provide additional infrastructure or permanent installation. For pieces that are especially fragile or vulnerable during display, storage, or transport, artists should provide appropriate frames, cases, or crates.
- to offer at least one public presentation in the park entrance area on the final day of the residency. Visual artists may choose between giving a demonstration, community-outreach activity, or an evening lecture-style presentation. Writers are expected to offer an evening presentation and reading.
All finished pieces are due at the park by Dec. 31 of the calendar year in which a residency takes place.
