Call Detail
Open Call for 2019 Artist-in-Residence Program at Denali National Park
Entry Deadline: 9/30/18
Application Closed
Work Sample Requirements
Images | Minimum:Min. 0, Maximum:Max. 6
Audio | Minimum:Min. 0, Maximum:Max. 3
Video | Minimum:Min. 0, Maximum:Max. 3
Total Samples | Minimum:Min. 1, Maximum:Max. 6
Call Type: Residencies
Eligibility: International
State: Alaska

Denali is seeking a diverse suite of voices to help share the unique story and important messages of Denali through art. This year we are asking applicants to focus on the theme "Staying Safe with Wildlife."  
Alaska Native Artists and Artists working in sustainable, recycled or repurposed material (Visual Artists) are strongly encouraged to apply. 

The Artist-in-Residence program is dedicated to exploring new ways for visitors to experience Denali. From hundreds of competitive applications each year, about a half-dozen accomplished artists, writers, and composers are invited by the park superintendent to spend ten days in Denali at their own expense the following summer. Visits include a permit for limited access along the Denali Park Road and time alone at a historic ranger patrol cabin.

Each participant volunteers to lead a public outreach activity with visitors and may choose to donate a finished work to the program collection. Artists are challenged to create works for visitors that convey a fresh and innovative perspective of Denali drawn from direct experience. With the welcome addition of several year-round gallery spaces beyond park boundaries, more of these donated works enjoy a larger life in the public eye. Our digital gallery is enjoyed by many who visit us by website long before or after their actual trip in the park. Although digital and performance based donations are preferred, physical peices may be donated if approved in advance and meet these specific guidelines. 

  1. Two-dimensional donations should not exceed 48 inches in any dimension and be suitably framed for hanging on wall-track systems in park galleries.
  2. Three-dimensional donations that require the purchase of custom display cases may not exceed 24 inches in any dimension. No piece should require permanent installation or structural modification of park facilities.

Costs of program operations and collateral-duty staffing are supported by visitor entry fees. Costs of supplies for free outreach activities are provided by Alaska Geographic with funds derived from purchases at park bookstores.


Guiding Principles

The program seeks qualified and accomplished artists, writers, and composers with demonstrated achievement in creating pieces that are both high in artistic merit and accessible for general audiences. 

Alaska Natives and American Indians are strongly encouraged to apply. Please feel welcome to mention your tribal or ANCSA corporation affiliation in essay responses.

The music composition residency draws upon successful foundations in Composing in the Wilderness and Denali Music Festival programs which emphasize contemporary classical music. This composer residency is timed so the composer may participate in these programs. The composer will have one year to create their final product, with the intention that the completed piece will be premiered the Denali Music Festival the subsequent year. The selected composer will consult with park staff to ensure that the instrumentation and technical requirements are appropriate for that setting. Within this general framework, there are no stylistic requirements.
Song-writers, music artists and composers working within other music genres are also encouraged to apply for residency at Denali National Park.

The Residency Experience and Expectations

All residents must provide their own transportation to and from the park, as well as any supplies, provisions, clothing, and outdoor gear for the duration of their stay. No stipend is provided. Each resident may bring one adult guest to stay within accommodations,  provided they arrive together. Residents must have a valid driver's license and be willing and able to drive according to prescribed "Rules of the Road." 

Summer 2019

Summer residencies are scheduled between June and September and are not concurrent. (The music composition residency may have preferential scheduling to coincide with the Denali Music Festival in mid-July each year.) Residencies are based at ranger patrol cabins located in remote settings, but within proximity to the Denali Park Road. Typically, offerings include a 14' x 16' cabin with an outhouse, propane heater, range, oven, and refrigerator, bunks with one double bed and one twin, bedding, a full complement of cooking equipment, and a small resource library. There is no electricity or running water, but water jugs are replenished regularly by park maintenance staff. Showers, laundry, telephone, and limited access are available at the Toklat Road Camp near Mile 53.

A road pass for private vehicle access is limited to one roundtrip use for driving out to a cabin site, and returning again to the park entrance. Day-to-day transportation within the park is available through passes provided for Visitor Transportation System (VTS) shuttle buses. Residents who articulate in advance specific creative goals or project objectives may be able to receive additional private vehicle access on a case-by-case basis.

Summer residencies typically begin on a Tuesday morning with arrival, orientation, and safety briefings at Park Headquarters followed by independent travel to the cabin site by afternoon. After a stay of nine nights in the park, on the Thursday morning of the following week, residents return to the park entrance to lead outreach activities at the Denali Visitor Center and to stay one final night in transient housing at Park Headquarters. Checkout and final departure from headquarters occur on Friday morning.

Typically, summer outreach activities take place at 3 pm on Thursday afternoons using picnic tables in public spaces outside the Denali Visitor Center. Events can last 45 to 90 minutes. The number of participants is usually limited by advance registration, from 12 to 24 participants, as set by resident preference. Residents are each allowed to spend as much as $150 for activity materials and supplies. Please provide receipts for purchases to be reimbursed and ship items to the park, preferably by USPS Flat Rate Priority Mail, well in advance of the residency.
 

Second Residencies

The program currently receives the maximum amount of applications a year for just a few summer  residencies. While previous residents aren't prohibited from applying again, prospects for being selected for another opportunity are exceptionally slim. Applicants must demonstrate significant development in their work over a span of years. Rather than an extension or reprise of previous achievements, the opportunity for a second residency must provide an entirely fresh perspective of the park for visitors.

Donations of Artwork to the Program Collection

Although digital and performance based donations are preferred, physical pieces may be donated if approved in advance and meet the following guidelines:

  1. Two-dimensional donations should not exceed 48 inches in any dimension and be suitably framed for hanging on wall-track systems in park galleries.
  2. Three-dimensional donations that require the purchase of custom display cases may not exceed 24 inches in any dimension. No piece should require permanent installation or structural modification of park facilities.

Composers are asked to donate both a PDF (including score, parts, and program notes) as well as a digital recording of the work, either as a high quality MIDI realization, or as performed by an ensemble.

While program participants retain copyright of donated artwork, they are asked to grant permission without restriction for the program to use and publish artwork (including on NPS websites) for the purposes of interpretation, exhibits, and education.

Selection Process

Applications are accepted only through an online process hosted by CaFÉ (CallForEntry.org). Entries are accepted from June 1 through September 30 for residencies during the summer of the following year. We are limited to accepting the first 250 applications. Applications submitted after the deadline will not be considered.

  • Panels including past program participants, subject matter experts, local community members, park personnel, and others serving at the discretion of the park superintendent are invited to review applications from professional artists annually. Selection is made on the basis of required entry materials, vision, new and innovative ways of responding to the park, and recognized accomplishment as demonstrated in those materials. Formal invitations for residencies typically are extended by the park superintendent by December 31 each year, followed by a public announcement of selections early in the new calendar year.
  • Please refrain from uploading media files (such as audio and video) unless they are either required or are directly relevant to your application category or public outreach proposals.
Visual Artists

The application requires:

  • Up to six images
  • Artist statement
  • Artist resume 
  • Image list
  • Your plans for a public outreach activity with visitors at the park
  • Your plans for public outreach about the program once you’re back at home
Writers

The application requires:

  • Up to ten pages of prose, or three to five poems, 12-point font, single spaced, saved as a PDF document. Pages scanned from published works that are designed to different specifications will not be considered.
  • Writer statement
  • Writer resume 
  • Your plans for a public outreach activity with visitors at the park
  • Your plans for public outreach about the program once you’re back at home
Music Composition

The application requires:

  • Three compositions, including a PDF upload of each complete score, and an MP3 audio file excerpt limited to five minutes each
  • Composer statement
  • Composer resume 
  • Your plans for a public outreach activity with visitors at the park
  • Your plans for public outreach about the program once you’re back at home

Categories 

Choose one per application:
  • Music Composition 
  • Visual Artist 
  • Writer 

A Team Approach

Among the strengths of Denali's Artist-in-Residence program is that the effort involved in keeping the program going and growing draws on wide support and contributions of members of the community and park staff. Many different people share responsibility for discrete aspects of program operations -- from coordinating residencies, to facilitating public outreach activities, to cataloging and protecting donated artwork, to updating offerings and information on the park website.

Application Requirements

Eligibility Criteria