Travel and Write: Be an Artist-In-Residence at a National Park

The Artist in Residence program is a little known program offered by the U.S. National Park Service. Many writers think they need to save their pennies and pay for expensive travel to write about some of the most spectacular places in the country. Other writers wish they could muster the money for expensive retreats where they can relax and answer their muse's call. The National Park Service's Artist in Residence program offers writers the opportunity to live and work in some of the parks. Nineteen of the twenty-nine parks participating in the Artist in Residence Program offer residencies for writers. Following is a list of the parks and details on writers' residencies offered there.

Acadia National Park, Maine
Application deadline: November 1 to January 1 (received)
Residency period: May, early June, September, October
Number & length of residencies: Five to six of three weeks each
Contact: Artist-In-Residence Coordinator at Acadia_Information@nps.gov or call 207-288-3338, "O" for operator.
For additional information, write: Artist-In-Residence Program, Acadia National Park, PO Box 177, Eagle Lake Road, Bar Harbor, Maine USA 04609

Badlands National Park, South Dakota
Application Deadline: For Fall residency - June 15 (received); for Spring residency - December 15 (received)
Residency period: (Fall) mid-September to October; (Spring) March to mid-May
Number & length of residencies: Two of four to six weeks each
Contact: Artist-In-Residence Coordinator, 605-433-5245 MST or badl_information@nps.gov
For additional information, write: Artist-In-Residence Program, Badlands NP, PO Box 6, Interior, South Dakota USA 57750

Buffalo National River, Arkansas
Application deadline: January 31 (postmarked)
Residency period: March - November
Number & length of residencies: Four of up to three weeks each
Contact: Artist-In-Residence Coordinator at 870-741-5443 CST or buff_information@nps.gov
Complete details and application form are available at www.nps.gov/buff
For additional information, write: Artist-In-Residence Program, Buffalo National River, 402 N. Walnut, Suite 136, Harrison, Arkansas USA 72601

Cape Cod National Seashore, Massachusetts
This national seashore hosts two individual residency programs.
C-Scape Dune Shack
Application deadline: February 15, (postmarked)
Residency period: Year-round
Number & length of residencies: Number varies, from one week to up to three months each
Contact: Tom Boland, Residency Coordinator, at tomboland@mediaone.net
For additional information, write: Provincetown Community Compact, Inc., PO Box 819, Provincetown, Massachusetts USA 02657 (Include a 52-cent stamped self-addressed envelope)
The Margo-Gelb Shack
Application deadline: February 1(received)
Residency period: Mid-May through mid-October
Number & length of residencies: Six of two weeks each
Contact: Send a 52-cent self-addressed stamped envelope to OCARC, 22 Nelson Avenue, Provincetown, Massachusetts USA 02657

Cuyahoga Valley National Park, Ohio
Application deadline: (Spring) December 15; (Summer) February 16
Residency period: (Spring) March through May; (Summer) June through September
Number & length of residencies: Two of six to eight weeks each
Contact: Mary Pat Doorley, Cultural Arts Program Manager, at 440-546-5995 CST, or mary_pat_doorley@nps.gov or Joni Starr, Summer Camp & Arts Director, Cuyahoga Valley National Park Association, 330-657-2796 ext. 114 or jstarr@cvnpa.org
For additional information, call 800-642-3297 or write: CVEEC Artist-In-Residence Program, 3675 Oak Hill Road, Peninsula, Ohio USA 44264

Devils Tower National Monument, Wyoming
Application deadline: April 1 (postmarked)
Residency period: Fall
Number & length of residencies: Two of one week each
Contact: Christine Czazasty at 307-467-5283, ext. 224, MST or christine_czazasty@nps.gov
For additional information, write: Writers-In-Residence Program, Devils Tower National Monument, Wyoming, Montana, USA 82714 or Bearlodge Writers, PO Box 10, Devils Tower, Wyoming USA 82714

Everglades National Park, Florida
Application deadline: October 1
Residency period: Year-round
Number & length of residencies: Six residents, two-four weeks each
Contact: AIRIE Program Coordinator, 305-242-7750 EST or EVER_Interpretation@nps.gov
For additional information, write: Artist-In-Residence-In-Everglades, Everglades National Park, 40001 State Road 9336, Homestead, FL 33034. AIRIE applications are available on-line at: http://www.nps.gov/ever/supportyourpark/artistinresidence.htm

Glacier National Park, Montana
Application deadline: February 15
Residency period: Summer
Number & length of residencies: Number varies, four weeks each
Contact: Artist-In-Residence Coordinator at 406-888-7942 MST or matt_graves@nps.gov
For additional information, write: Artist-In-Residence Program, Glacier National Park, P.O. Box 128, West Glacier, Montana USA 59936

Golden Gate National Recreation Area, California
Headlands Center for the Arts
Residency period: Febraury through November
Number & length of residencies: Thirty of one-eleven months each
Contact: Holly Blake at 415-331-2787, ext. 24, PST or hblake@headlands.org
For additional information, write: Holly Blake, Residency Manager, Headlands Center for the Arts, 944 Fort Barry, Sausalito, California USA 94965

Grand Canyon National Park, North Rim, Arizona
Application deadline: April 1, 2007
Residency period: Three week periods
Number & length of residencies: Five (5) residencies; first beginning in September, 2007, the remaining four (4) from Spring 2008-August 2008.
Contact: Artist-In-Residence Coordinator at 928-638-7739
For additional information, write: Coordinator, Artist-In-Residence Program, P.O. Box 129, Community Building, Grand Canyon, AZ USA 86023

Herbert Hoover National Historical Site, Iowa
Application deadline: March 2, 2007
Residency period: May 1 through October 31
Number & length of residencies: Two (2) of two to four weeks each
Please note: Housing may not be readily available for upcoming resident artists.
Contact: Adam Prato at 319-643-7855 CST
For additional information, write: Artist-In-Residence Program, Herbert Hoover National Historical Site, 110 Parkside Drive, PO Box 607, West Branch, Iowa USA 52358

Homestead National Monument of America, Nebraska
Application deadline: June 15 (postmarked)
Residency period: July - September
Number & length of residencies:Depending on type and number of applicants, residences can range in length from 2 weeks to three months.
Contact:Call Artist-in-Residence Coordinator, 402-223-3514 or
email allison_la_duke@nps.gov
For additional information, Complete details and application form are available at www.nps.gov/home or write: Artist-in-Residence Program, Homestead National Monument of America, 8523 West State Hwy 4, Beatrice, NE 68310

Hot Springs National Park, Arkansas
Application deadline: February 1
Residency period: Call or write for details
Number & length of residencies: Several of two to four weeks each
Contact: Jeff Heitzman at 501-620-6707 or HOSP_Interpretation@nps.gov
For additional information, write: Artist-In-Residence Program, attn: Volunteer Coordinator, Hot Springs National Park, 101 Reserve Street, Hot Springs, AR USA 71901

Isle Royale National Park, Michigan
Application deadline: February 16 (postmarked)
Residency period: June through early September
Number & length of residencies: Five two to three weeks each
Contact: Greg Blust at 906-487-7152 EDT or greg_blust@nps.gov
For additional information, write: Artist-In-Residence Program, Isle Royale National Park, 800 East Lakeshore Drive, Houghton, Michigan USA 49931-1895

Joshua Tree National Park, California
Application deadline: Accepted year-round
Residency period: October through May
Number & length of residencies: Four to six of four weeks each
Contact: Caryn Davidson at 760-367-3012 PST or caryn_davidson@nps.gov
For additional information, write: Artist-In-Residence Program, Joshua Tree National Park, 74485 National Park Drive, Twenty-Nine Palms, California USA 92277

North Cascades National Park, Washington
Application deadline: February 1 for spring residencies and July 1 for fall residencies.
Residency period: April/May and September/October.
Number & length of residencies: Two residencies of 4-6 weeks each in two separate areas of the park, for a total of four annual residencies.
Contact: Charles Beall at 360-856-5700 x.365, charles_beall@nps.gov, 810 State Route 20, Sedro-Woolley, WA 98284
For additional information: http://www.nps.gov/volunteer/NOCABrochure.pdf
For application information: http://www.nps.gov/volunteer/NPCAApplication.doc

Petrified Forest National Park, Arizona
Application deadline: March 15 (postmarked)
Residency period: May thru October
Number & Length of residencies: Number varies, each residence up to three weeks
Contact: Scott Williams, Museum Curator at 928-524-6228 MST or scott_williams@nps.gov
For additional information, write: Artist-In-Residence Program, Petrified Forest National Park, PO Box 2217, Petrified Forest, Arizona USA 86028 or visit http://www.nps.gov/pefo/parknews/artist-in-residence.htm.

Rocky Mountain National Park, Colorado
Application deadline: December 5, 2003 (postmarked deadline on application for the 2004 season)
Residency period: Early June through late September
Number & length of residencies: Five to eight of two weeks each
Contact: Artist-In-Residence Coordinator at 970-586-1206 MST
For additional information, write: Artist-In-Residence Program, 1000 Highway 36, Estes Park, Colorado USA 80517

Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore, Michigan
Application deadline: April 15 (postmarked)
Residency period: September - October
Number & length of residencies: Two of three weeks each
Contact: Lisa Myers at 231-326-5134 or lisa_myers@nps.gov
For additional information, write: Artist-In-Residence Program, Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore, 9922 Front Street, Empire, Michigan USA 49630 or go tohttp://www.nps.gov/slbe/parkmgmt/upload/2009_AIR_Brochure_LR.pdf.