Mancos watercolorist Jan Wright had a very successful Artist-in-Residence (AIR) experience at Mesa Verde National Park in October 2012. She spent a 2-week period quietly working on her art, taking walks and going to various parts of the park. When she heard that the AIR program was changing management, she decided to step in and take over, offer her artistic expertise and organizing skills, and help out the program.
"I feel this program is so important," Wright said. "I had a wonderful experience! It not only helped out my art, it was really great to see parts of the park that I wouldn't normally have seen."
In 2006, during the centennial celebration of Mesa Verde, Frank Cope, who was the head of maintenance for the park, and an artist, felt that the AIR program would benefit the park as well as further the careers of many artists. Four 2-week periods were set up for artists of various media to live in a rustic, historic hogan near the museum. Artists who were chosen could explore the park and some of its back country, spend quiet time in nature, and concentrate more intensely on their artwork. All they had to do was give a presentation or workshop during their stay, and give a piece of their artwork to the park.
The AIR program has five 2-week slots that artists can apply to come to Mesa Verde from all over the country. "There were 60 applications this year," said Wright. "That is the most we've ever had!" There were writers, photographers, musicians, painters, and everything in between.
"It was hard going through the applications and choosing," said Wright. Even though she is not one of the jurors that decided on the artists, she made sure that all the information was there for them. The jurors were all local and chosen by Wright. In addition to Cope, the jurors are Milt Beens (a versatile artist from Durango whose art is featured at the Mancos Artisan's Coop), Stew Mosberg (a writer and art critic from Bayfield), and John Ninnemann (a professional photographer). They chose the artists using a point system for categories such as quality of submission materials, reasonableness of what they'd like to achieve, and the uniqueness of their artwork.
This year the artists chosen represent a wide variety of art, as evidenced by their media.
May 1 through May 18 - Siri Beckman is a wood block printer whose work is very detailed. She carves the wood blocks that she uses for her prints by hand. She will give a demonstration of her technique while she is here. She's looking forward to exploring more of the park during her stay.
May 19 through June 1 - Jill Haley is a musician and composer who uses piano, oboe and English horn in her compositions. Her "Zion and Bryce Canyon Soundscapes" was released in Aug. 2012 and is a relaxing mixture of the instruments. She wants to share her music with the public during her demonstration and then perhaps lead a music improvisation. She plans on releasing a CD about several National Parks in 2016.
Sept. 1 through Sept. 14 - Sue King, from Lancaster, Ohio, is a quilter and textile artist whose quilts are very detailed and, in her words, "a dialogue with the past". She hopes to create a piece that emphasizes the unique man and cultural aspects of the park contrasted with the arid landscape of the Colorado Plateau. King will demonstrate her technique to the public as well as share her artwork with others.
Sept. 15 through Sept. 28 - Venaya Yazzie is a Native American painter from New Mexico who carries the beliefs and customs of indigenous Southwestern cultures to her paintings. Her paintings are representations of adornment, both physical and spiritual. She hopes to include an exhibition of her work to the public and an interactive talk on adornment, the land and the people.
The last slot, from Sept. 20 to Oct. 12, is open only for local artists, and will be filled by Robert Galin, a writer from Mancos and who has written many articles for the Durango Herald and other publications. He has been a seasonal ranger at Mesa Verde and covered the park as a journalist for many years. He hopes to produce materials that can be printed on the Mesa Verde website for anyone to see.
"I could feel the ancient energy while I was in the park," said Wright. "And it really upped my game as an artist."
To see an application for the AIR program, go to the Mesa Verde website at www.nps.gov/meve and click on the "support your park" link.