ARTIST-IN-RESIDENCE

PROGRAM

Joshua Tree National Park

74485 National Park Drive
Twentynine Palms, Ca 92277
(760) 367-3012
www.joshuatree.org

JOSHUA TREE NATIONAL PARK

ARTIST-IN-RESIDENCE PROGRAM
Mission Statement: The purpose of the Joshua Tree
National Park Artist-in-Residence Program is to provide
artistic and educational opportunities to promote a
deeper appreciation of the natural, cultural, and historical
resources of Joshua Tree National Park and the deserts of
Southern California.

JOSHUA TREE NATIONAL PARK

Joshua Tree National Park contains a variety of dramatic

landscapes that offer a wide range of opportunities to
experience the desert. These federal lands were set aside
by presidential proclamation in 1936, when Franklin D.
Roosevelt established Joshua Tree National Monument.
The California Desert Protection Act, passed by Congress
in 1994, designated the former monument as Joshua Tree
National Park, ensuring that this part of the California
desert would be preserved and protected for countless
generations to come. There are 585,000 acres of designated wilderness within the parks boundaries well over
half of its 794,000 acres.
The northern region of the park contains the Wonderland
of Rocks, a twelve-square-mile area of monzogranite
for which the park is known worldwide. Rock climbers,
hikers, campers, and equestrians are among the 1.4 million people who visit the park annually. In addition to its
spectacular geology, visitors may get a glimpse of the
parks wildlife: Joshua Tree is home to over 320 species of
birds, mammals, and reptiles, including desert tortoises,
bobcats, foxes, mountain lions, golden eagles, hawks,
rattlesnakes, and bighorn sheep.

Artist-in-Residence Kim Osgood, of Portland, OR,

working at the Lost Horse Cabin

More than seven hundred species of plants grow in the

park, including, of course, the iconic plant of the Mojave
Desert: the Joshua tree. Two large desert ecosystems adjoin each other in Joshua Tree National Park. Below 3,000
feet, the Colorado Desert (a subsection of the Sonoran
Desert) is dominated by creosote bushes, Mojave yuccas,
cholla cactus, as well as palo verde, ironwood, and smoke
trees. Above 3,000 feet, the Mojave Desert is moister
and slightly cooler, providing the conditions required
by the parks 1.5 million Joshua trees. Some ecologists
argue that Joshua Tree National Park is a transition zone
between the two deserts. One of the many interesting
things a visitor to the park can do is compare the features
of the two zones and develop a deeper and broader understanding of deserts.

HISTORY OF ARTISTS IN
NATIONAL PARKS

Artists were among the first to record the visual beauty

and the drama of the American West on canvas and in
photos. Carleton Watkins, Ansel Adams, Thomas Moran,
William Henry Jackson, and others awakened a nation
to the magnificent waterfalls, geyser basins, and wildlife found in what would become some of our nations
most revered national parks. John Muir and Henry David
Thoreau touched people the world over with their writing. Musicians, composers, and other performing artists
have likewise found inspiration in our national parks. They
looked beyond nature as a raw resource; they spoke in
defense of disappearing wildlife and vegetation. They saw
beauty and virtue in places promised to the future. Their
works continue to foster pleasure and appreciation in others, generating support for the protection and preservation of our national resources. Today, artists continue to
document national parks, landscapes, and resources with
contemporary approaches and techniques.
The Joshua Tree National Park Artist-in-Residence Program offers visual, performing and literary artists a residency from 2-6 weeks long during the months of March,
April, October, and November each year. The accommodations within the park are located at the Lost Horse
Ranger Station, in a rustic and self-sufficient cabin with
nearby panoramic views of the park. In exchange for the
adventure of living and working in a national park, the
resident artist will have the opportunity to create a body

of work and to share it with the surrounding regional

and Southern California communities. AIR artists proposals are encouraged to address content related to Joshua
Tree National Park and build better understanding and
dialogue about our national parks, natural resources, and
environmental desert issues.

ABOUT THE PROGRAM

n
LENGTH OF RESIDENCY

Selected artists for the Artist-in-Residence Program may

propose to stay for a residency term preferably ranging
from 2-6 weeks during the months of March, April, October or November at the Lost Horse Ranger Station inside
Joshua Tree National Park. No stipend is provided. Artists
are responsible for their own expenses, such as travel,
meals, transportation, and insurance coverage.

n
ACCOMMODATIONS AND WORKING
CONDITIONS

In addition to the accommodations of the Lost Horse

Ranger Station approximately 600 sq. ft. and the
overall park itself, artists may utilize an indoor studio and
outdoor patio workspace for the production of their projects. Although conditions inside the Lost Horse Ranger
Station are more temperate, artists must be prepared for
more extreme conditions outside in the high desert that
include high winds, low relative humidity and temperatures that can range from 100 degrees Fahrenheit during
the day to as low as 30 degrees at night. Visiting artists are
subject to the same Park Service regulations as all visitors
permanent or temporary alterations or manipulations
of the landscape are strictly prohibited. Artists will be
provided a park pass to allow free access to the park during the residency, and will need transportation to access
the remote location of the Lost Horse cabin. Due to space
limitations at the cabin, the residency is limited to one
occupant at a time and unfortunately cannot accommodate collaborators or companions. Park policy prohibits
bringing companion animals to the cabin.

n
DONATION TO JOSHUA TREE
NATIONAL PARK COLLECTION

As per agreement with acceptance into the residency

programs, selected artists are asked to donate to the
park an original piece of artwork and/or appropriate
professional documentation of their writing, music, or
performance from their residency in Joshua Tree National
Park. Donated artwork must be received no later than one
year after an artists residency. Artwork from visual artists
should be framed with Plexiglas and prepared for hang-

ing before donation. Artists are also required to provide

the copyright for this artwork to the National Park Service.
Artwork becomes the unrestricted property of Joshua
Tree National Park and may be used in exhibits, educational programs, fundraising efforts, and by Joshua Tree
National Parks nonprofit association for their products.
The artist retains a royalty-free, nonexclusive use license
under the copyright of the art. The National Park Service
owns the artwork and the rights to reproduce it. Under
those rights, the artist has a license to make use of the
artworks image for his or her purposes. When artists
reproduce artwork for their own purposes, publication
information will include the language: This artwork was
produced under the Artist-in-Residence Program at
Joshua Tree National Park.

n
CALENDAR

Applications will be accepted via online submission

for the 2013-14 Artist-in-Residence Program up to the
deadline of June 1, 2013. Please visit www.joshuatree.org
for the opening date for applications and details of how
to apply. Notification of selected artists will be made in
August, 2013.

n
THE SELECTION PROCESS

A panel of prominent artists, arts professionals, community representatives and National Park Service personnel
will choose finalists. Final selections are based on artistic
merit, professional rsum, the Statement of Project/Purpose, public presentation proposal(s), and relevance to
the JTNP Artist-in-Residence Program mission.

n
PROGRAM MANAGEMENT

Joshua Tree National Parks Artist-in-Residence Program

is exclusively owned and operated by the National Park
Service, and managed in partnership with the JTNPA and
other organizations. Additional partnerships with arts,
cultural, and community organizations will be utilized
to support specific collaborations, projects, exhibitions,
performances, and/or opportunities for selected artists.

n
HOW TO APPLY

Artists must submit their application and art samples

exactly as indicated on the application instructions.
Insufficient, or excess, materials are causes for application
rejection. There is an application fee of $35 payable at the
time of application. Please visit www.joshuatree.org for
details on how to submit your application.
For further information:
Caryn Davidson, Park Liaison, AIR Program
Caryn_Davidson@nps.gov (760) 367-3012
www.joshuatree.org or www.nps.gov/jotr/

PARTNERS
The Joshua Tree National Park Artist-in-Residence Program is presented in partnership with
the Joshua Tree National Park Association and the Hi-Desert Nature Museum, with support from
the following community partners:
The Desert Institute
Photographic Artists Network (PAN)
Morongo Basin Cultural Arts Council
Copper Mountain College
College of the Desert
Chamber of Commerce Joshua Tree
Chamber of Commerce Morongo Valley
Chamber of Commerce Twentynine Palms
Chamber of Commerce Yucca Valley
U.S. Bureau of Land Management
National Parks Conservation Association

www.joshuatree.org

JOSHUA TREE NATIONAL PARK

ARTIST-IN-RESIDENCE (AIR) PROGRAM
20132014 APPLICATION FORM
ARTIST INFORMATION
Name:_____________________________________________________________________________________
Mailing Address:______________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________
PHONE NUMBERS (Indicate which is best to use to reach you):
q Home:_______________________ q Work:________________________ q Cell:_______________________
Email:______________________________________________________________________________________
Artistic Medium:______________________________________________________________________________

REQUEST FOR ARTIST-IN-RESIDENCE (AIR) PROGRAM

I request an Artist-in-Residence term of _____ weeks (2-6 weeks) at the Lost Horse Ranger Station for:

q October 2013

q November 2013

q March 2014

q April 2014

Actual dates of residency time period will be determined by the selected artist and the National Park Service.
If you are limited to only one specific available time for their residency, please note.

APPLICATION CHECKLIST
q Application Form (please fill out this Application Form and include in Application Packet)
q Rsum: Please provide professional resume, including exhibition record, bibliography, public & private collections,
artist fellowships and residencies, and othe honors.

Statement of Project/Purpose (6 copies), maximum of 2 pages in length (minimum of 11pt. font size)
Specific focus of work to be done and its relevance to Joshua Tree National Park.
Relevance of residency proposal to your overall professional development/ interests.
Proposal of program, performance, project and/or lecture that can be presented during residency.

q Samples of work (Do not send originals!)

Visual Artists (photographers, sculptors, painters, etc.): 1 CD or slide sheet of 12 20 images (.jpg or .tif )
Videographers: one CD or DVD of at least two productions not to exceed 5 minutes total.
Writers, Poets: 10 pages of written samples, double-spaced (6 copies)
Musicians, Composers: one CD or cassette of at least two compositions not to exceed 5 minutes total
Performing Artists: one CD or DVD of at least two performances not exceeding 5 minutes total

q Application Fee of $35 (Check payable to JTNPA)

q A self-addressed, stamped envelope if you would like the samples returned to you.
Postmark deadline is June 1, 2013 (notifications by August 1, 2013)
Mail application form and materials to:
Joshua Tree National Park Association Attn: Artist-in-Residence Program
74485 National Park Drive
Twentynine Palms, CA 92277