Valles Caldera Announces 2026 Artists in Residence

Valles Caldera National Preserve has selected five artists to take part in its Artist in Residence (AiR) program during the 2026 summer season. Through the AiR program, selected artists will immerse themselves in the park’s natural and cultural landscapes to create original artistic works inspired by the setting. During their residencies, they will also share their work with the public through presentations and interactive workshops. The selected artists for the 2026 season are as follows.

River of Their Passing, ink and collage on paper

Emily McIlroy

Emily McIlroy

Emily McIlroy was born and raised in Norman, Oklahoma. She received her BA in Studio Art from the University of Arizona in 2005 and her MFA in Drawing and Painting from the University of Hawai'i at Mānoa in 2011. When she’s not in her studio, Emily enjoys reading, writing, and walking and swimming her way through various terrestrial and aquatic wildernesses. She lives and works on Oahu with her very demanding Siamese cat, Gormaen. She currently teaches in the Drawing and Painting Program at the University of Hawai'i at Mānoa.

Coyote

Spencer Creighton

Spencer poses with a taxidermy owl.

Courtesy of Spencer Creighton

Spencer Creighton

Spencer Creighton (he/him) is a wildlife illustrator and comic artist from Millersville, Maryland. He’s currently hard at work getting his BFA from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago. His work is deeply centered around wildlife educational artwork and stories focused on animal narratives. He also self-publishes educational comics, such as pocket guides and graphic journalism about cadaver dogs. He has a deep interest in scientific illustration and natural history, volunteering on and off at the Field Museum in Chicago. He has a huge passion for the art form of taxidermy, using it as an educational tool for conservation and artistic reference.

Trout with Scene

John Decker

John poses with several original pieces of artwork.

Courtesy of John Decker

John Decker

My journey as an artist started at a young age. As long as I can remember, I have always felt a need to draw. With the encouragement of my family and teachers, I decided to pursue a career in the arts. I received my B.F.A. in Printmaking and Graphic Design in 1990, studying printmaking under Dan Kirchhefer. I worked in the Emporia State University Marketing and Media Relations office as a graphic designer for 18 years. During this time, I taught a variety of classes on a part-time basis including 5-12 grade art, continuing education courses on graphic design, and digital images courses for the Department of Art at ESU. In 2010, I received my M.S. in Instructional Design and Technology from Emporia State University. I joined the Flint Hills Technical College faculty in 2011, developing the multimedia program for seven years, and teaching in the graphic arts program for the 2018-2019 academic year. In the fall of 2019, I joined the ESU Art Program faculty and currently serve as an associate professor, focusing on graphic design and motion graphics.

Toadstools

Paul Atkinson

Paul in a prairie.

Courtesy of Paul Atkinson

Paul Atkinson

Paul Atkinson is a self-taught American artist specializing in infrared and night sky photography, and is best known for creating art that sees beyond the limits of human visual perception. His work celebrates not only the natural landscape, but also explores the human landscape from a detached examination of what is left behind. Atkinson’s work has been exhibited nationally in numerous juried shows, and has appeared in the fine art photography periodical LensWork. In 2022, he retired from a career in civil engineering, and has since served as an Artist in Residence at a number of National Parks across the continental United States. He resides in Raleigh, North Carolina, and is an advocate for dark night skies with DarkSky International.

Riparia

Julia Andreas

Julia holds up an original rug.

Courtesy of Julia Andreas

Julia Andreas

Julia Andreas (she/her) is a multimedia fiber artist based in Albuquerque, New Mexico whose work explores how the world softens when we zoom in and out. She earned her B.A. in Biology from the University of New Mexico in 2020 and has exhibited in numerous solo and group exhibitions across New Mexico, including Exhibit 208, Zendo, and the Harwood Art Center. She has pieces located in New Mexico, California, New York, and Seattle, and is part of a permanent collection on display at Agate Fossil Beds National Monument in Nebraska. Julia currently serves as the art coordinator for Castle Coffee.