Durango photographer Kit Frost, October’s artist-in-residence at Mesa Verde National Park, plans to offer a free public program on Friday, Oct. 13.
Frost will share a presentation on the history of art in our national parks, showing examples of artists whose work inspired their formation, according to a news release from Cristy Brown, public information officer at Mesa Verde. The slideshow will include samples of new artwork created during her tenure as artist-in-residence at Crater Lake, Acadia, Glacier, Capitol Reef, and Mesa Verde National Parks.
The program, titled “Artists in Our National Parks,” runs from 7-8:30 p.m. at the Far View Lodge Library.
Frost’s preferred style of shooting is to be at a location for a long time. She says, “time in and around one location expands my photographic imagery and reflects familiarity, change, constancy, an examination of light and time and commitment to be at the ‘right place’ at the ‘right time.’”
Through the task of visually translating Mesa Verde, she hopes to gain and share a deeper understanding of the park and its former residents, Brown said.
“I plan to capture the texture and light, inspired by ancient architecture and natural landscape of the park, and to meet the challenge of recording the same expansive views experienced by the Ancestral Puebloan Culture 800 plus years ago,” she said.
Mesa Verde National Park’s artist-in-residence program provides professional artists the opportunity to become part of a long established tradition of artists creating art in our national parks. The artist-in-residence program offers writers, composers, and visual and performing artists the opportunity to pursue their art form while being surrounded by the natural landscape of the park, the news release said.
This year’s artists were selected from over 45 applicants by a jury of five consisting of the chief of interpretation, MVMA staff, and three local professional artists.
Applications for the 2018 artist-in-residence program at Mesa Verde National Park will be accepted beginning Nov. 1 through Dec. 31.
To apply and to learn more go to www.nps.gov/meve/getinvolved/air_artists.htm and www.mesaverde.org.
Mesa Verde faces $65.7 million in backlogged maintenance
