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Steel Creek
© Angelo Sciulli
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Buffalo National River
In April, 1997, I was fortunate to have been selected to participate in the Artist-in-Residence program at the Buffalo National River in Arkansas. Buffalo National River is 150 miles of crystal clear free flowing river located in northern Arkansas. Massive limestone, sandstone and dolomite bluffs line extensive parts
of the river providing an impressive backdrop to a very scenic river. Established as a national park in 1972, the Buffalo National River is probably better known as a canoeing paradise. Weekends on the river, or in the campgrounds, are a popular summer
getaway. The park is also a hiking heaven with many trails leading to the many scenic vistas along the river. I was fortunate to have been selected as an Artist-in-Residence at Buffalo National River. The image to the right shows the view I saw every morning from my cabin in the park. I found April to be an especially nice time to visit with the mild spring weather and the corresponding forest explosion as the trees and wild flowers come back to life. The vista are incredible in themselves but I found
the many streams and wildflowers to be equally impressive. My stay at the park was an exciting experience both for photography, but also for the chance to explore a truly beautiful national park.
The residencies provide an opportunity for an extended
visit to use the scenic beauty of the park as inspiration for their work -- something that may be missed in a shorter visit. As a remembrance of their stay, each participant is asked to donate an artwork created during their stay to the park. Additionally, each park asks for the artist to make a presentation on their art form, whether it is painting, photography or writing. Each participating park determines the visitation dates and the number of openings for each location. The participating parks in 19
98 sponsored residencies ranging from one to four weeks.
I found the Artist-in-Residence to be an exceptionally rewarding experience and would not
hesitate to recommend it to anyone contemplating applying for the next year. The following list summarizes the national parks that host Artist-in-Residence programs that I have identified. Where applicable, I have provided a direct link to the park page highlighting the program requirements.
Please note that the images and the articles on these pages are copyrighted by Angelo Sciulli.
Reproduction or use in any manner without permission is prohibited.
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