Grand Canyon National Park Artist-in-Residence Program

In 2018, Grand Canyon Conservancy (GCC) was asked to take the successful NPS Artist-in-Residence program at the canyon and turn it into a sustainable, vibrant program to forever contribute to the cultural and historical legacy of Grand Canyon National Park. After a year-long consulting engagement, a new program was launched, and GCC hosted their first Artist-in-Residence in the Verkamp’s apartment on the South Rim. By 2022, GCC added a Program Manager, several partnerships with local Arizona and Nevada museums, and received over 165 proposals from artists across the globe.

The National Parks System of the United States offers artist residency opportunities of varying kinds at some of its parks. These programs have been at the discretion of individual park superintendents as a public outreach effort based around scenic values. The Grand Canyon National Park hosted such a program from 2003 to 2017, when it was terminated due to lack of resources. In 2020, the park worked with its official nonprofit partner, Grand Canyon Conservancy, to design a new program to host artists on the South Rim. Envisioned to be international in scope and of a quality deserving of its spectacular location, it provides artists the time and space to explore and develop significant work.

The program welcomes applicants from a wide variety of artistic disciplines, including visual art (two and three-dimensional, photography, sculpture, painting, textiles, drawing, or collage), installation or land-based art, printmaking, audio (performance or composition), film (documentary, fictional, or art), writing (poetry, fiction, essays, storytelling, or playwriting), ethnographic fine art, new media, performance art (choreography, dance, or theater arts professionals), social practice, and interdisciplinary arts.

In their applications, artists articulate how their projects would contribute to a greater understanding of the Grand Canyon (in its broadest interpretation) through research and public engagement. Projects naturally evolve and change during the residency, but focus remains relevant to the Canyon and its communities.
While in residence, artists are encouraged to work collaboratively with NPS staff and to make use of the Park’s many resources, including its collections, archives, hiking and backpacking opportunities, scientists, educators, experts on wildlife, geology, conservation, interpretation, and engagement. Materials include documents, audio and video files, digital images, press materials.

• Series 1: Grand Canyon Conservancy (GCC) AIR Program Information
• Series 2: 2021 Participants
• Series 3: 2022 Participants
• Series 4: 2023 Participants
• Series 5: 2024 Participants
• Series 6: 2025 Participants
• Series 7: 2026 Participants
• Subseries 1: Carlos Estevez (Apr 8 – May 31)
• Subseries 1: Daniele Genadry (Feb 10 – Apr 1)
• Subseries 1: Heather L. Johnson (May 3 – June 14)
• Subseries 1: Mark Chen (Jan 15 – Feb 26)
• Subseries 1: Nicole Banowetz & Devin Reilly (Mar 8 – May 9)
• Subseries 1: sTo Len (March 19 – May 1)
• Subseries 2: Annie McCone Lopez (June 8 – July 5)
• Subseries 2: Dani Kwan (May 15 – June 30)
• Subseries 2: Erin Reynolds (Sept 27 – Oct 25)
• Subseries 2: Janelle VanderKelen (June 10 – July 10)
• Subseries 2: elijah jamal asani (May 23 – July 22)
• Subseries 3: Amy Monaghan (Aug 13 – Oct 1)
• Subseries 3: Julie Anand and Damon Sauer (July 13 – Aug 9)
• Subseries 3: Leah Agerter (Sept 19 – Nov 11)
• Subseries 3: Nayda Collazo Llorens & Patricia Villalobos (July 5 – Aug 15)
• Subseries 4: Hai-Wen Lin (Nov 11 – Dec 6)
• Subseries 4: Terry Jenoure (Sept 1 – 21)

• CAE1041: Center for Land Use Interpretation: Wendover Residencies
• CAE1608: Sagehen Creek Field Station: Artists in Residence Program
• CAE1710: SETI Artists in Residence Program