Shenandoah National Park announces 2023 'Artists-In-Residence'

Blackrock SummitPhoto byShenandoah National Park

LURAY, Va. – Shenandoah National Park has selected five artists for this year's Artist-in-Residence program.

Shenandoah is one of many national parks offering the program. Designed to encourage artists to develop and share creations that will inspire people to visit public lands, the program also fosters awareness and stewardship of protected natural and cultural resources.

The 2023 program will run May through October. The five selected artists will each spend three weeks experiencing Shenandoah National Park, with accommodations provided at Skyland Lodge. Each artist will create original pieces (within their artistic disciplines), to be donated to the park within six months of their visits.

As announced in an April 17 media release, the following artists have been selected for the 2023 Shenandoah National Park Artist-in-Residence program:

Sonya Lara – Sonya is a poet and essayist. She received her BA in Creative Writing from the University of Wisconsin-Madison and her MFA in Poetry from Virginia Tech.. Sonya was selected as the May artist and will be in the park from May 1-22. For more information, please visit sonyalara.com.

Nina Grauley – Nina is a Science Illustrator, artist, and enthusiastic amateur naturalist. Nina was selected as the July artist and will be in the park from July 10-31. For more information about Nina and her works, visit ninagrauley.com.

Paul Atkinson - Through Paul’s art and residency, he hopes to share with others the beauty and wonder of the night sky, while promoting awareness of the growing threat of light . Paul was selected as the August artist and will be in the park from July 31 - August 21. For more information about Paul and his works, visit patkinsonphoto.com.

Ines Sun – Ines is a multidisciplinary visual artist. While living in China for 18 months, she accumulated a substantial body of work. She lives and works in Brooklyn. Ines was chosen as the September artist and will be in the park from September 5-26. For more information about Ines and her works, visit www.inessun.com.

Jill Haley - Jill is a musician who has been composing, recording, and performing instrumental music inspired by the natural environment. Jill was chosen as the October artist and will be in the park from October 2-23. For more information about Jill and her works, visit jillhaley.com.

The Artist-in-Residence program is supported by donations to the Shenandoah National Park Trust, the official philanthropic partner of Shenandoah National Park. According to their website, “the Trust provides strategic investments in programs and initiatives that help protect, enhance, and preserve the resources of Shenandoah National Park for all to enjoy - for this and future generations.”

To learn more about how you can donate and support similar efforts in the park, visit the Shenandoah National Park Trust at www.snptrust.org or follow them on Facebook @ snptrust.