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Contact: Anna Glynn & Peter Dalmazz, 1 541 272 2045 Contact: Media Contact Katie Corrigan, 305-242-7714 Contact: National Parks Arts Foundation: Tanya Ortega, 505-715-6492 Dry Tortugas National Park and the National Park Arts Foundation (NPAF) are pleased to announce the first resident artist in their new partnership to establish a joint Artist in Residence (AIR) Program.
According to Pedro Ramos, Everglades and Dry Tortugas National Park Superintendent, “The Artist in Residence Program will help us usher in the National Park Service’s Centennial, and will also offer artists and visitors alike views of Dry Tortugas National Park in new and innovative ways. We are pleased to announce the first artist to be selected for this prestigious program, Australian Multimedia Artist Anna Glynn and her partner, Biologist, Art Worker and Curator, Peter Dalmazzo. They will spend the month of September immersed in their artistic endeavors, on a pristine, isolated island at Dry Tortugas National Park.”
According to NPAF Founder Tanya Ortega, artists always need a fertile place to get away from the everyday. “We are dedicated to implementing our partnership with Dry Tortugas National Park by selecting world class artists to enjoy the once in a lifetime experience of a month-long residency on a pristine Florida key with its own, historic lighthouse. Ms. Glynn and her partner, Peter Dalmazzo, will spend the month of September at the park. Afterward, the artists will provide a public and online program, including lecture and reflection on their work and practice in the specific natural landscape found in this Key. Stay tuned for more information about the artist’s public event, which will be held in Key West sometime the end of September.”
Anna Glynn is an Australian multimedia artist, originally from the South Coast, New South Wales, whose work includes painting, drawing, photography, sculpture, writing, music, sound, installation, film, animation and theatre. Glynn’s art-practice has been inspired by her working and collaborating internationally, exploring different cultures and new materials. She has undertaken a number of successful residencies both within Australia and internationally. Peter Dalmazzo is an Australian environmental scientist, arts worker and curator. Dalmazzo has more than 26 years of experience working in the fields of biology, estuarine and coastal management, environmental planning and assessment, public place planning, community engagement and education.
The Artists explain their winning proposal, an original fusion of Science and Art in this way, “After documenting aspects of the environment, we will review, analyze and edit our collected resources to create works, including soundscapes, short films, animations, time-lapse video and moving image works. These will evolve in response to the environment, reflecting the character of Loggerhead Key as a place, both in its harshness and its beauty, its complex and elegant natural rhythms and patterns, over the course of thirty days.”
This NPAF residency offers the absolute essence of an artist’s retreat in the heart of nature. This is particularly inspiring to Anna Glynn, who loves the sea and its endless mystery. She added, “It will give us time to quietly observe and reflect, while stretched by life on the edge! We look forward to being immersed in research and experimentation, while exploring new directions inspired by a place strange and unfamiliar. We would also like to thank the generous support of Brinno USA who have provided us with two time-lapse cameras. These will be an invaluable tool that enhances our existing technology and helps us to capture the diversity of the changing environment of the island.”
According to Tanya Ortega, “The Dry Tortugas National Park Artist-in Residence program will be another interactive public feature to highlight and honor the upcoming Centennial of the National Parks in 2016. The National Parks Foundation is always looking for active participation and input from lovers and sponsors of the arts. This work is an important contributing part of Florida’s unique culture and natural landscapes. It doesn’t happen without people! So if you want to volunteer, donate, or share your perspective, please contact us.”
Dry Tortugas National Park is located almost 70 miles (113 km) west of Key West. The 100-square mile park is mostly open water with seven small islands. Accessible only by boat or seaplane, the park is known the world over as the home of magnificent Fort Jefferson, picturesque blue waters, superlative coral reefs and marine life, and the vast assortment of bird life that frequent the area. Visitors enjoy camping, snorkeling, bird watching, fishing or just enjoying a view from the top of massive Fort Jefferson. Fort Jefferson is the largest all-masonry fort in the United States, built between 1846 and 1875 to protect the nation's gateway to the Gulf of Mexico. |
Last updated: August 19, 2015