Artist-in-Residence Programs Continue At Rocky Mountain National Park With Youth Artist Leah Kegerreis

Courtesy Leah Kegerreis

News Release Date: June 22, 2016

Contact: Kyle Patterson, [phone]

Visual Artist Leah Kegerreis from Plano, Texas, was Rocky's first child Artist-in-Residence back in 2011 when she was just eight years old. Since then, Leah has continued to hone her artistic talents. Now thirteen, she has been invited to return as an Artist-in-Residence as part of the centennial celebration for the National Park Service. Join Leah on Wednesday, June 29, at 7:30 p.m. at the Beaver Meadows Visitor Center.

In 2015, Leah's sketch Gingerbread Puzzle won first place in Dallas' Private School Invitational. As a young artist, Leah enjoys exploring the creative process using a variety of visual media, including acrylic, watercolor, and pencil. Leah's plein air painting at Bear Lake from her previous residency is on display at the Moraine Park Visitor Center. Her watercolor and pencil artwork depicting a scene near Dream Lake is on display at Beaver Meadows Visitor Center.  

Six artists were selected for the summer 2016 Artist-in-Residence Program at Rocky Mountain National Park, including three youth artists.  Artists are provided with a creative, contemplative environment in which to generate artistic works and share their works with the public.  During their stay at the park, artists share their vision in public presentations. 

Since the late 1800s, national parks and art have had a special connection. Early-day artists accompanied many of the expeditions that explored the American West. These artists documented their discoveries in paintings, photographs and prose, and played a key role in influencing the decision to protect many of our earliest national parks. In 1984, in honor of the significant role that artists had played in the creation of national parks, Rocky Mountain National Park established the first Artist-in-Residence Program in the National Park Service system. Today over fifty national park areas have Artist-in-Residence Programs. 

Artistic diversity, new ideas and creative uses of media were encouraged in the application process. Artists are given two-week residencies at the William Allen White cabin from June through September. These programs are free and open to the public.

For more information about Rocky Mountain National Park please contact the park's Information Office at [phone].