Hawai’i Volcanoes Adds Artist-in-Residence Program

Washington, DC, March 08, 2015 --(PR.com)-- The Hawai’i Volcanoes National Park (HAVO) of the National Park Service, in cooperation with the non-profit National Parks Arts Foundation (NPAF) announced today the expansion of its residency program to host a second artist for a 1-month December residency at the Park. The artist, to be selected by National Parks Arts Foundation’s curators and advisors, will use the December 2015 residency to create artwork of all possible media, inspired by the sacred aura of the island of Hawai’i’s revered volcanic landscapes and forests of Mauna Loa and Kīlauea. This residency aims to connect the park to the most cutting edge and global art culture currents, by placing ambitious and respected artists in unique locations and see what the interaction produces.

This residency is the second of the year at Hawai’i Volcanoes National Park, where this spring HAVO’s current Artist-in-Residence, Rick Makanaaloha Kia'imeaokekanaka San Nicolas, will be doing numerous demonstrations of his traditional featherwork techniques for park visitors. The Hawai’i Volcanoes Artist-in Residence program will be another interactive public feature to highlight and honor the upcoming Centennial of the National Parks in 2016. The NPS has recently issued “A Call to Action”, a path-breaking document that sets out 30 high-priority focus areas at the start of the Park Service’s second century. As the Park’s Superintendent, Cindy Orlando, explains "We are thrilled to offer our Residency Artists the mutually beneficial opportunity to cultivate their creativity in the remarkable setting of Hawai'i Volcanoes National Park," said Park Superintendent Cindy Orlando. "The arts are an integral way to perpetuate Hawaiian culture and its deep connection to this sacred landscape," she said.” Programs like this residency add value dynamically to the Park experience for visitors now and in the future and represent the highest aspirations of the Park Service’s goals.

Hawai’i Volcanoes National Park, founded in 1916 at the very inception of the Park Service, has hosted numerous painters and writers throughout the years, including Mark Twain, who wrote about his stay at the Volcano House on the rim of Kīlauea, as well as modernist legends Georgia O’Keeffe and Ansel Adams. The Park was also the inspiration behind the associated group of painters known as the Volcano School, who were fascinated by the dramatic lava flows and glowing nightscapes of the park’s wonders. These artists included Jules Tavernier, Ernst Christmas, Constance Gordon-Cumming, Charles Furneaux, and Ogura Itoh. NPAF’s program aims to re-invigorate this tradition using the latest media and arts practices and approaches. Hawai’i Volcanoes’s Artist-in-Residence will also directly interact with Park visitors by speaking about art projects, work and interests during on-site presentations.

NPAF is a 501(c)3 non-profit dedicated to the promotion of the National Parks of the U.S. through creating dynamic opportunities for artworks that are based in our natural and historic heritage. NPAF founder Tanya Ortega has worked with the National Park Service in a wide variety of roles for over 30 years. But she also takes her role of curator and facilitator very seriously: “What this program is really about is a cycle of inspiration. We connect the artist to this place, the park setting works its magic, the work gets done, visitors get to see and feel, and be inspired by the results; with minimal friction and hassles for everyone.” Artists may apply with their proposals for this residency and find additional information at www.nationalparksartsfoundation.org. Upon completion of their residency, the artist will donate a work to the Park’s collection of exhibits and artwork. The 4-day Painting and Photography workshops will be guided by well-known Hawai’ian gallery-owning artists in the Summer and Autumn. Get on NPAF’s email list at: info@nationalparksartsfoundation.org.

The AiR program is made possible through the philanthropic support of donors of all sorts ranging from corporate sponsors, small business, and art patrons and citizen-lovers of the Parks. NPAF is always seeking new partners for its wide-ranging artist-in-residence programs.