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Contact: Susan Sanders, 231-326-5134
Superintendent Dusty Shultz is pleased to introduce October's Artist-in-Residence (AIR) at Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore. Darron Lillian, a pastel artist from Waukesha, Wisconsin, is out exploring the natural wonders of the dunes, forests, beaches, and varied cultural landscapes this national treasure provides. He will present a free program for the public highlighting his work on Friday, October 22, at 2:00 p.m., in Empire at the National Lakeshore's Visitor Center. Darron Lillian paints directly from common scenes that we all see daily but often overlook in favor of the dramatic scenes we expect to see. He seeks out the access roads, untamed growth of bushes and trees, and all the other things we pass by on our way to the scenic vistas. Mr. Lillian strives to represent the qualities of a particular place, a specific time of day, and the immediate atmospheric conditions. He also looks to present the subject indirectly through unusual topography, which sometimes itself becomes the subject. Rather than painting a building or a natural feature head on, he looks for how it blends into the environment, presenting it in an unusual manner and calling our attention to a new way of seeing what we generally take for granted. On Friday, October 22, at 2:00 p.m., Mr. Lillian will present an informative program about his painting and residency. This one-hour presentation is free, open to the public, and will take place in the auditorium of the Philip Hart Visitor Center on M-72 in Empire. Works of art by previous Artists-in-Residence are also on display in the auditorium. Please call 231-326-5134 for more information. Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore has sponsored the AIR program for over a decade, and it is open, through competition, to American writers, composers, and visual artists, whose work can be influenced and enhanced by the outstanding features that are protected by the National Park Service and enjoyed by millions of visitors year after year. In exchange for the opportunity to live in the park for a short period, Artists-in-Residence donate an original piece of art to the park, interact with visitors while conducting their craft, and offer at least one public presentation of their work in a formal setting. There are only two sessions (September and October) available each year. For more details, please see the following link: www.nps.gov/slbe/parkmgmt/artistinresidence.htm. |
Last updated: April 10, 2015