Thank You to Rocky Mountain National Park's 2024 Artists-in-Residence!
Rocky Mountain National Park's Artist-in-Residence (AIR) program has ended for the 2024 season. We would like to thank all of our amazing Artists-in-Residence for sharing their unique artistic visions with us and helping to inspire others.
NPS Photo: Claudia Borfiga, Visual Artist and an RMNP 2024-Artist in Residence seen leading a screenprinting program at Fall River Visitor Center.
Interested in Applying to be an Artist-in-Residence?
Rocky Mountain National Park and the Rocky Mountain Conservancy are pleased to announce that the application window will soon be open for the 2025 Artist-in-Residence program. Interested artists are encouraged to apply!
Applications for Rocky Mountain National Park's 2025 Artist-in-Residence program will be accepted through January 31, 2025.
Rocky Mountain National Park's AIR program is open to artists of all creative disciplines. Selected artists will serve in a two-week residency within Rocky Mountain National Park. During their residency, selected artists will reside in a rustic cabin located inside Rocky Mountain National Park where they can gain inspiration and create artistic works.
RMNP's residency will take place during a two-week window from mid-May through mid-October, weather and conditions permitting.
Applying to be an Artist-in-Residence at Rocky Mountain National Park:
There is a two-part application process to be considered for the Artist-in-Residence program at Rocky Mountain National Park. The program is centered out of the east side of the park and the closest community is the Town of Estes Park, Colorado. Selected artists will be awarded a two-week residency in the historic William Allen White cabin that overlooks Moraine Park.
Participating artists also agree to host and facilitate at least two public programs.
A lecture-style program will take place in the auditorium at Beaver Meadows Visitor Center, located near the Beaver Meadows Entrance to RMNP.
A second program will take place at Fall River Visitor Center. This will be an interactive drop-in style program where members of all ages of the general public will be able to stop by, participate in an activity, and engage with the artist.
Additional public programs in outdoor locations within RMNP can be scheduled upon request.
Additionally, selected artists agree to, within a year of their residency, create a fully furnished high-quality piece of work that is representative of their stay. Final art submissions are donated to the park’s unofficial collection managed by our non-profit partner, the Rocky Mountain Conservancy.
Interested applicants are required to submit a completed fillable web form application and to send an email with all required application materials. See below for detailed instructions.
All application materials (web form application and supplemental email with required documents) must be received by RMNP no later than 11:59 p.m. MST on January 31, 2025
Requests for application extensions will not be granted.
All applications received will be reviewed in February and March. Final selections will be announced in April 2025.
Application Details - A Complete Artist-in-Residence Application Includes Two Important Steps:
In addition to completing and submitting the web form, interested applicants must email us immediately before or immediately after submitting the completed web form application with the documents listed below.
All documents must be sent to romo_interp_air@nps.gov
Note - The above email account is not frequently checked and applicants will not receive a confirmation email back.
For questions about the program, please send us an email us at romo_information@nps.gov or call the Information Office at 970-586-1206.
*Note: Files in cloud storage are not supported and cannot be accepted. Zip files and other sharable links also cannot be accepted.
1. One PDF document containing your Resume and Summary of Creative works (4-6 pages total)
Resume/CV: Up to 4 pages maximum. No headshots, personal photographs, or any other images. Focus on your experience as a professional artist and include experience relevant to the program (i.e. public speaking, interacting with diverse audiences, teaching a large number of people at once or repeatedly to many different people/groups, environmental education, outdoor recreation, self-motivated and independent work, working and living in remote areas).
Summary of Creative Works: should be no more than 2 pages maximum. Examples include exhibits, galleries, performances, recordings, publications, shows, etc.
2. One PDF document containing your Statement of Purpose and Public Program Concepts (2-5 pages total):
Statement of Purpose: Up to 2 pages maximum. Share why you are interested in serving as an Artist-In-Residence, what you hope to gain from this experience, how you expect to grow as an artist, how your work contributes to the National Park Service values of stewardship, education, recreation and preservation, what environmental issues you are interested in highlighting or exploring, and how your art aligns with or contributes to Rocky Mountain National Park's "sense of place". Also describe your ability to work independently and live in a rustic setting within a national park.
and
Concepts for Public Programs: Up to 1 page maximum per program. Selected applicants will be asked to provide at least two different public programs during their residency. These are generally talks/presentations open to the public and can vary in length; programs typically include a performance, discussion, or demonstration of your works. Please provide a brief concept outline for what you would do for each type of public program. Be sure to include general overview, necessary materials, materials you are able to provide, materials you would need the program to purchase, outline of flow and takeaway messaging, deliverables or final products, etc.
The two types of programs are
A lecture-based program at the Beaver Meadows Visitor Center Auditorium. This would be a 1-hour long presentation followed by a facilitated Q&A session. This program would take place on the first Sunday of an AIR residency.
Interactive drop-in program. This is a 4-hour drop-in style program that will take place at Fall River Visitor Center. These programs allow artists to interact with members of the public through an interactive medium. Members of the public will be invited to drop-in anytime within the 4-hour program. Expect repeated 15-20-minute interactions over a 4-hour block of time on the second Saturday of an AIR residency. This is an opportunity to engage with members of the public in group or one-on-one settings as they come to learn more about an artist and their medium of art.
Optional: Additional programs in outdoor locations inside RMNP can be scheduled after approval from RMNP's AIR Program Coordinator and Rocky Mountain Conservancy. This could include guided walks, half or full day workshops, and outdoor performances. If this is something that you would be interested in offering, please provide a third public program concept describing your vision and intent.
3. One PDF document with your Samples of Recent Works (6-pages, one sample per page):
Do not include more than six samples. Please try to combine all six into a single file while maintaining high image quality/resolution. All submitted images should be 2000 x 3000 pixels (3000 pixels on the long side).
Submit only works that you wish to be considered as part of your application; these are the only works that will be considered during jury selection. See below for medium-based instructions.
Files on cloud storage cannot be accepted. Please do not send zip files or shared links.
Medium-based Instructions for Sample of Works Submission:
Visual, Textile, & Sculpture Artists:
Provide up to six images embedded within a PDF document. Clearly label each image with your name and the work's title. Images must be high resolution and should focus only on the actual artwork; extraneous backgrounds, mattes, or frames should not be included.
For each work, clearly list name of work, medium, and dimensions.
Language Artists:
Provide up to six short works or 1 longer work within a PDF document. Examples include up to 6 short poems or other short writing samples of artistic merit (no more than 1 page each) or one short story, essay, or manuscript excerpt (no more than 6 pages). Clearly label each work with your name and its title.
Note for non-fiction writers: creative non-fiction for this program does not include science writing (studies, research papers, articles, etc.) travelogues, journalistic features, interviews, or job-related documents such as memos or legal briefs. Such submissions will not be considered.
Musicians, Composers, Performing Artists, Videographers:
Provide up to six short selections (no more than six minutes total) or 1 long selection (no more than eight minutes total). Upload your submission to YouTube/Vimeo or share an existing YouTube/Vimeo link embedded within a PDF document. Uploads may be public or private.
Please describe each link with title and description of sample and clearly label each work with your name and its title.
Kait Evensen, Textile Artist and an RMNP 2024 Artist-in-Residence, displaying embroidery at a drop-in program at Fall River Visitor Center
NPS Photo
Additional Program Details:
When the application window closes, a panel of judges will select at least five different artists to participate in the summer 2025 program. Upon selection, chosen artists will select a desired time block for their two-week residency from a list of available options.
At the completion of their residency, the artists will donate a fully furnished piece of work representative of their stay to the park’s unofficial collection managed by the Rocky Mountain Conservancy. Rocky Mountain Conservancy will hold the rights to the piece of work and the National Park Service will have the rights to share the donated works with the public.
Art has played a major role in the creation of our national parks and in the preservation of our country’s wild spaces. Artists like George Catlin, Thomas Cole, Albert Bierstadt, Thomas Moran, Ansel Adams, and more helped to share the beauty and wonders of the natural world with people around the globe. Since the 1800s, artistic works have inspired people to travel, dream, explore, and visit their national parks and other public lands.
Today, creative arts continue to play a major role in national parks. Artists of various mediums - like painters, photographers, sculptors, authors, poets, musicians, composers, videographers, dancers, playwrights and more - help capture a moment in time and inspire others. People come to national parks for many different reasons and Artists-In-Residence programs provide opportunities for artists to connect with some of America's most treasured places.
The National Park Service recognizes the importance of art in our lives and helps to support artists by offering Artist-In-Residence programs. Through their residency, artists have time to be inspired, create artistic works, and share their vision with the public through presentations.
Rocky Mountain National Park, in partnership with the Rocky Mountain Conservancy, is one of over 50 NPS sites that currently host an Artist-In-Residence program. The AIR program looks different at each participating/hosting park, so be sure to check the park's official website for specific program details.
NPS Photo
When will the 2025 Artists-in-Residence be Announced?
When the application window closes after January 31, 2025, a selection panel will review the applications received and will select up to six artists to participate in the 2025 program.
