Western Arctic National Parklands, which includes Kobuk Valley National Park, Noatak National Preserve, and Cape Krusenstern National Monument, has proudly played host to many artists through the Artist-in-Residence program. Check out the gallery of images above or the short biographies below to learn more about our past artists and their artwork!
Robert Winfree, 2009 and 2015
Painter, photographer, biologist, and Senior Scientist - Robert Winfree's career defies definition. Working for the National Park Service, first as the Grand Canyon's Senior Scientist and then as Alaska Regional Science Advisor, Winfree has traveled to many amazing places. These beautiful locations provide inspiration for his landscape and wildlife paintings.
Constance Baltuck, 2011
Constance is one of those rare artists who makes a living solely through her artwork. Based out of Juneau, Baltuck has been creating art through the decades. With a background in botany and other sciences, she uses her knowledge of nature to add realism to her compositions.
MK MacNaughton, 2012
For MK, what began as a summer job selling hot dogs in Juneau turned into a lifelong love of Alaska and its residents. After her career led her to work in a women's shelter, MK used art to start conversations with the residents. She spent 2012 in Noatak National Preserve experiencing an entirely different landscape and soaking up the bright colors around her. Today, MK is a teaching and exhibiting artist in Juneau.
Elaine Philips, 2013
A unique super talent, Elaine can make almost anything out of ribbons. As the 2013 artist, she completed a tapestry entitled "Wolf at the Door." Philips works as a training supervisor for the Community Health Aid Program at the Kanakanak Hospital in Dillingham and has also lived in Utqiagvik and Kotzebue. In her free time, this versatile artist paints murals, illustrates books, sews, embroiders, and, of course, creates tapestries with an eclectic mix of textiles.
Dean Cully, 2014
Dean is a fine-art aerial photographer, but he also just might save your life. As an air ambulance pilot, Cully flies rural residents to distant hospitals as a profession. His love of aviation inspires his art and his love of art inspires his aviation. Dean's time in Western Arctic National Parklands was a great opportunity for him to access many areas via plane and snap some amazing images.
Susan Watkins, 2014
Having traveled throughout the United States, Europe, South Pacific, Asia, and the Middle East, Susan returned to Alaska not only as a place to live, but to continue her career, finding inspiration at her doorstep. "For an artist, Alaska offers beauty at every turn. My studio is my home... in the picturesque Chugach Mountains," said Watkins. "I love discovering and painting the beauty of the world around us."
Jessica L. Bryant, 2016
For most of her life, renowned painter Jessica Bryant had no intention of becoming a professional artist. She had only a modest background in art, mostly in drawing. As watercolor slowly snuck into her life, she realized she had found a hidden talent. Jessica was able to paint in both the Noatak National Preserve and Cape Krusenstern National Monument while working in Western Arctic National Parklands.
Pam Hanneman, 2020
The global pandemic changed her Artist in Residency many times, but Pam remained flexible and stuck with the program. Moving to Alaska as a young child, Pam was a hobby artist throughout her life. After selling her backcountry guiding business, Pam has retired and plans to devote her time to her new non-profit, Art4Good. Her business allows her to do many things she is passionate about as she creates art that people can then purchase through donations to charities. Pam can be seen discussing her trip in more detail in a set of short videos on our Interviewing an Artist page.
Amy Martin, 2022
Amy worked with Western Arctic National Parklands staff to create a brochure/book/handout in print and on a digital platform that invites visitors to the parks to come to a deeper understanding of the landscapes and cultures they are visiting through photographic story-telling.
Rachel Heckerman, 2023
Rachel Heckerman has a strange love between art and science, and have always been finding unique ways to bridge the gap between the two. She’s a videographer, editor, writer, photographer, social media strategist, and designer and is not afraid of putting bugs on her face in the name of science! Her interest in both fields have led her to work in the Amazon of South America to the icy terrain of McMurdo Station in Antarctica.
