Travel can be exhilarating, especially when we can give back to that location. In America, the United States National Park’s Artist-In Residency (A-I-R) Program offers creative folks a chance to enrich the parks’ interpretive programs. Artists of all persuasions – writers, painters, sculptors, photographers, fiber artists, musicians, composers, glass artists, woodworkers, book-makers and more – are encouraged to apply. If you love to create, especially in a beautiful outdoor setting, you are a viable candidate. The residencies are both humbling and honoring. International applicants are encouraged.
Artist-In-Residency opportunities for private, focused time are often based in some of the world’s most scenic locations. Most offer private living and are free of charge, and transportation costs are sometimes covered. You’ll be offered free housing for two-to-four weeks in most parks.
They are searching for applicants who have:
• a clear vision of a creative project
• a personal history of intent and commitment
• a past record of productivity
• two letters of recommendation
The U.S. National Park opportunities have expanded during the last decade. Now there are hundreds of opportunities each year. Most offer free housing for 10-30 days and some cover transportation costs. The accommodations are always more than adequate, and the park rangers are willing to help with anything you need throughout your stay. The only requirement is a 60-90-minute public presentation about your work. Sometimes there will be a one-day public event when you can sell your work. These are usually sponsored by “Friends of the Park” organizations. 
When I was offered A-I-R positions at Sleeping Bear Dunes (MI), Acadia (ME), Crater Lake (OR), and the Great North Cascades (WA) Parks, my friends without an artistic bent seemed a bit confused about what I would be doing. “Writing and offering one public program,” I replied. “Is that all?” some questioned. Yes, that was all, and that was enough.
Before you apply, you develop a proposal for your A-I-R project, gather references, and complete an application. Create a plan for your park presentation that demonstrates why you should be chosen to spend weeks in a place most Americans are lucky to visit briefly. (Most national park visitors stay only four-to-six hours.) Perhaps you might choose to offer an evening campfire talk or a Visitor’s Center presentation. Whatever you choose to offer, park visitors will remember you. You might be featured on their Facebook page or in a travel blog online. You’ll be an integral part of the park’s offerings to visitors during your stay.
Each of the four parks I’ve experienced offer different enhancements. Sleeping Bear Dunes reflected Native American legends of the Great Lakes, Acadia’s scenic rockbound coast and islands strengthened one’s soul, the Great North Cascades offered majestic mountains, wild rivers, and huge trees, while Crater Lake’s mystical quality was downright magnetic.
Artistic inspirations take many forms through these experiences. I am a musician and a writer; sound affects my writing. Nature’s aural inspirations inspire my words. Emotional experiences flow during an artist-in-residency. The sense of personal satisfaction that comes from honoring our passions is almost indescribable.
After spending weeks exploring these mystical lands, this beauty was then expressed through my work. I was able to produce more work during the A-I-Rs than at any other time in my life. Once I took a manuscript and left with an edited book (Lighting Your Spiritual Passion). Another experience produced all of the background material for a project that honored the Ojibwe people. I would work four to five hours, then walk sacred lands and return to write until late at night. Years later, I still return to those inspirational experiences when I need new ideas.
A-I-R programs offer time for your mind to wander, expanding the heart. These memories of beauty and serenity will enrich an artisans’ work for years to come. There is something truly unique about exploring your inner life in a new location, free from the distractions of home and unbridled by responsibilities. These opportunities expand your resume, offer new internal vistas, and bring you in direct contact with others who might love your work. The U.S. National Parks I’ve visited have even made it possible to have a book-signing day at their Visitors Center.
Explore https://www.nps.gov/subjects/arts/air.htm to find a residency that suits your passions. I highly recommend applying for this gift of time and space.
Bio: Laura Lee Perkins, MS has authored 150+ published poems/articles and 16 books. Laura’s been awarded five artist-in-residencies, won third place in the 80th Annual Writers’ Digest Contest (Inspirational Category), won third place in the 2017 Creative Writing Institute’s Short Story Contest, and received 13 grants. Laura Lee Perkins writes from the inspiration of the beautiful Maine coast May-October and from the stillness of the Arizona desert November-April. Her public lectures and classes draw 5,000 attendees each year in Maine, Massachusetts, New York and Arizona.
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As a senior I have recently started painting and writing. I have sold some of my paintings and self-published a children’s book. I currently am talking to a producer about my next venture.
This morning I was thinking I need a place to get away for awhile to work and reflect on the direction I want to go. Clear my head of all the clutter and focus, so to speak.
This sounds like something I could benefit from all the while helping others, especially seniors who may need some encouragement to fulfill their dreams.
This is an encouraging and insightful article. I definitely will research this possibility. Thank you for such a wonder article.