Artist-in-Residence Program Sites
As new programs are announced in 2024, they will be shared here.
If you are interested in a BLM-managed area that’s not listed, consider reaching out directly to the site or field office to ask if they have an Artist-in-Residence program or may be planning to start one. A directory of BLM offices is available here.
2024 Artist-in-Residence Programs
Alaska
BLM Central Yukon Field Office / Dalton Highway & Toolik Field Station
BLM Contact: Teri Balser, tbalser@blm.gov
Application Deadline: The application period closed on March 29, 2024.
More Info: This year, Toolik Field Station and the BLM are looking for one artist – writer, composer / auditory artist, visual artist, or performing artist — for the Dalton Highway Corridor and Toolik Field Station. During the 5-6 day residency, held in June, July, August, or September (depending on the artist’s availability and support from the BLM and Toolik), the artist will have the opportunity to travel much of the Dalton Highway, speak with land managers and scientific researchers, and pursue their artistic discipline amid Alaska’s inspiring landscapes.
This year’s residency will be hosted at the University of Alaska Fairbanks Institute of Arctic Biology’s Toolik Field Station, with an opportunity to engage with BLM locations in the Dalton Highway Corridor such as the Arctic Interagency Visitors Center. Toolik Field Station will provide transportation between Fairbanks and the research station. Transportation to Fairbanks is the responsibility of the selected artist. For more information, including how to apply, visit the Toolik Field Station website here.
Arizona
BLM Tucson Field Office, Las Ciengas National Conservation Area
BLM Contact: Jennifer Jones, jenniferjones@blm.gov
Application Deadline: The application period has closed.
More Info: The Bureau of Land Management Tucson Field Office is pleased to announce the selection of Alan Nyiri, resident of Bandon, Ore., site host at the Las Cienegas National Conservation Area and photographer, as its first artist in residence. Until late April 2024, Nyiri will travel throughout the more than 45,000 acres of rolling grasslands and woodlands of the Las Cienegas National Conservation Area capturing images through his excellent photography skills.
A selection of Nyiri’s remarkable photographs of the Las Cienegas National Conservation Area landscape and historic Empire Ranch buildings will be on display at the Empire Ranch Headquarters gift shop from Friday, March 8 through Sunday, March 24, 2024. On Saturday, March 23rd, at 1:00 p.m., Nyiri will present a multimedia exhibit and discuss his photography. The Empire Ranch Headquarters is located about 50 miles southeast of Tucson and 10 miles north of Sonoita. Directions and a map are available at https://www.empireranchfoundation.org/visit/hours-map-directions/. Additional information is available here.
California
King Range National Conservation Area/Shelter Cove Arts & Recreation Foundation
BLM Contact: Jeff Fontana, jfontana@blm.gov
More Info: Madeleine Grace Kelly, a painter and art instructor, has been selected for the spring session of the Bureau of Land Management Artist in Residence program at the King Range National Conservation Area. During her four-week residency, she will lead two community art workshops and plein air painting outings and offer a gallery showing of the art she creates while staying on the Lost Coast.
The residency begins April 24 and ends May 18 with a gallery showing at the Shelter Cove Arts and Recreation Foundation Gallery. Dates for the public workshops and outings will be announced as details are finalized.
Read the announcement for more information.
Bishop Field Office
BLM Contact: Philip Gross, pgross@blm.gov
More Info: The Bureau of Land Management is coordinating a summer and fall Artist in Residence program for the Bishop Field Office. This year, applications will be accepted for the Alabama Hills National Scenic Area near Lone Pine, the Bodie Hills near Bridgeport, and other locations within Bishop Field Office that inspires the Artist. The residency is available for a one-week period. Applications must be submitted by May 15.
Artists are asked to share a vision of their stay in a 45-minute public presentation. Following their residency, artists donate a representative digital image of their artwork to the Field Office. Housing or a stipend may be provided by partner organizations.
Read the announcement for more information.
Colorado
Canyons of the Ancients National Monument
BLM Contact: Amala Posey-Monk, aposeymonk@blm.gov
Application Deadline: Aug. 31, 2024
More Info: Are you an artist looking to deepen your connection with Canyons of the Ancients National Monument (CANM) through your work? Applications for CANM's Artist-in-Residence (AiR) Program are open from August 1-31 for both winter and summer residencies!
In partnership with the Southwest Colorado Canyons Alliance, CANM welcomes artists of all backgrounds to engage visitors in transformative art experiences. Combine your passion for creativity and the outdoors in the BLM Artist-in-Residence program. Whether you paint, sketch, compose, sculpt, take photographs, create pottery, or explore other forms of art, let the beauty of the public lands inspire your work and inspire others.
This residency offers unparalleled artistic and educational opportunities, promoting a profound understanding of the natural history and cultural heritage of CANM. It fosters a unique space for learning and dialogue about the significance of National Conservation Lands and their connection to local communities. Artists enjoy uninterrupted time in a stimulating and rugged environment, perfect for pursuing their creative endeavors and sharing them with the public.
The Canyons of the Ancients Visitor Center and Museum serves as the monument’s headquarters. Housing collections and exhibits that span the entirety of human interaction with this landscape, the CANM Curation Program supports access for traditional, academic, and public interests. We encourage artists to ethically engage with these collections through guided tours and research, fostering a deeper understanding of the interplay between museum artifacts and the landscape.
Selected artists receive complimentary accommodations, financial support, special access to the Monument and Curation facility, and significant marketing exposure.
For more details and to apply, please visit: https://swcocanyons.org/artist-in-residence-program.
Montana
Upper Missouri River Breaks National Monument
BLM Contact: Thomas Valencia, tvalencia@blm.gov
More Info: The 2024 program is under development and has not yet been announced. More information will be posted here as soon as the program is announced.
Nevada
Black Rock Desert National Conservation Area
BLM Contact: Kathy Torrence, ktorrence@blm.gov
Application Deadline: The application period closed on March 14, 2024.
More Info: https://blackrockdesert.org/artist-residence-program-2024/
Friends of Black Rock – High Rock, in partnership with the Bureau of Land Management, is launching two artist residencies for a two-week duration in Summer 2024. Applications will be accepted over six-weeks, from February 1, 2024 until the deadline of March 14, 2024.
The artist selected for this opportunity will engage with a small community audience and experience the vast landscapes available in our National Conservation Lands. Public programs and community outreach projects, and an exhibition of the artists work will be hosted in Reno, Gerlach and other rural communities in Nevada. Resident artists will be ambassadors of the Black Rock Desert NCA, working to promote awareness of the need for conservation and stewardship of this and other National Conservation Lands in the United States.
California Trail Interpretive Center
BLM Contact: Cheryl Miller, clmiller@blm.gov
Larry Hyslop is the California Trail Interpretive Center Artist in Residence for 2024. He will be available and demonstrating his techniques in the Center from July 14 to July 28. The focus of his work will be creating grass vases that highlight the subtle beauty of the native grasses that are prominent throughout the Great Basin region. His final piece will be donated to the Center and will be put on display for all visitors to view.
Statement from the artist: Larry enjoys polishing bare clay rather than glazing. Blackware pottery allows him to carve intricate designs in clay. He works in three simple colors, black, red, and white. Blackware pottery is centuries old, practiced by Southwest Pueblo Peoples. He has modernized the technique, with his own unique forms and decorations. Larry’s work reflects his view of Northeastern Nevada’s natural world along the California Trail.
Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area
BLM Contact: Bridget Peregrino, bperegrino@blm.gov
More Info: The 2024 program is under development with Friends of Red Rock Canyon and has not yet been announced. More information will be posted here as soon as the program is announced.
New Mexico
Organ Mountains-Desert Peaks National Monument
BLM Contact: Lane Hauser, lhauser@blm.gov
More Info:
The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) and Friends of the Organ Mountains-Desert Peaks are pleased to announce the selection of Crystal Evans, a local Las Cruces artist, as this year’s artist-in-residence for the Organ Mountains-Desert Peaks National Monument.
The local Artist-in-Residence Program is a partnership between the Friends and the BLM. The Friends provide the artist with a stipend while the BLM provides housing for the artist onsite at the Monument. In return, the artist is responsible for a creative community project, a public event (e.g., tour, demonstration, or workshop), and a complete art project that promotes the Monument.
During the month of September, Evans will travel throughout the 497,330-acre Monument, capturing images through her impressions on canvas as part of the tenth anniversary of Monument designation.
Learn more about this year’s artist-in-residence program: BLM, Friends group announce selection of local artist-in-residence.
Oregon
Cascade-Siskiyou National Monument
BLM Contact: John Duwe, jduwe@blm.gov
Application Deadline: The application period has closed.
More Info: The selected artist receives a one- to two-week residency at CSNM in the month of June. Artists will create work while immersed in a beautiful environment and share their art with the public. All artists are encouraged to apply, and there is no preference given to any style or medium. During their stay, the artist will share their experience and artistic vision in a public presentation. Following the residency, artists are asked to donate an original artwork piece, which they will retain the rights to. One artist and one alternate will be selected based on the following criteria: entry materials, residency proposal, professionalism, and creative vision. Interested artists can learn more information and an application at the CSNM Artist-in-Residence website (https://bit.ly/CSNMart), by e-mailing jduwe@blm.gov, or by calling (541) 618-2320.
Riddle Brothers Ranch National Historic District on Steens Mountain
BLM Contact: Tara Thissell, tthissell@blm.gov
More Info: The 2024 program is under development and has not yet been announced. More information will be posted here as soon as the program is announced.
Yaquina Head Outstanding Natural Area
BLM Contact: Katherine Fuller, kfuller@blm.gov
Application Deadline: The application period closed on April 7, 2024.
More Info: The Bureau of Land Management is pleased to announce the opening for applications to the Artist-in-Residence (AiR) program at Yaquina Head Outstanding Natural Area (ONA), sponsored through a partnership between Yaquina Head ONA, the Oregon Coast Council for the Arts, and Friends of Yaquina Lighthouses. More information, including program details and application materials, is available here.
Utah
Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument
BLM Contact: Allysia Angus, aangus@blm.gov
Application Deadline: The application period closed on April 14, 2024.
More info: Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument is pleased to announce applications are now being accepted for the 2024 Artist-in-Residence (AiR) program, sponsored through partnership with the Escalante Canyons Art Festival and Glen Canyon Conservancy. Applications must be received by midnight on April 14, 2024. Interested artists may find more information and application materials here.
Moab Field Office, Canyon Country District
BLM Contact: Eran Howarth, ehowarth@blm.gov
More Info: The BLM is excited to announce the 2024 Canyon Country Artist in Residence — Suzanne Jackson of Basalt, CO. Jackson will be with us October 8 – 29, adventuring out in this glorious landscape to inspire her beautiful plein air paintings and sketches. This is the 3rd year for the Canyon Country Artist-in-Residence program. Art is a unique way to promote appreciation of the variety of landscapes within the Canyon Country District and increase knowledge about the BLM’s mission. This year’s residency is being hosted by the Moab Field Office. To learn more about the program, visit the BLM Canyon Country District Artist in Residence website.
Past Artist-in-Residence Program Sites
The BLM piloted its first Artist-in-Residence Program in 2012 at Canyons of the Ancients National Monument in southwest Colorado. The program has since expanded to include other BLM-managed lands, depending on interest, program funding, and available site staff. Below are links to past participants in the BLM Artist-in-Residence Program.
Alaska
Dalton Highway
Fortymile-Eagle Area
Pinnell Mountain National Recreation Trail
White Mountains National Recreation Area
California
King Range National Conservation Area/Shelter Cove Arts & Recreation Foundation
Colorado
Canyons of the Ancients National Monument
Idaho
Owyhee Canyonlands Wilderness
Morley Nelson Birds of Prey National Conservation Area
South Fork of Snake River
Nevada
Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area
New Mexico
Organ Mountains-Desert Peaks National Monument
Oregon
Cascade-Siskiyou National Monument
Yaquina Head Outstanding Natural Area
Utah
Cleveland Lloyd Dinosaur Quarry
Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument
Wyoming
National Historic Trails Interpretive Center & Casper Field Office