Story by Shannon Kelly, KCHU
Edited for print by Sue Bergstrom
Tuesday evening, September 19th, Valdez Museum Egan Commons hosted Tuesday Nite History Talk with special guest, 2017 Denali National Park Artist in Residence Faith Revell. Revell presented “A Walk in the Park”, an illustrated talk about her experience in the park and how that inspires her artwork.
The talk was accompanied by a slide show featuring a variety of Revell’s work from her two residencies in the park over the summer. She told her audience, which consisted of attendees of all ages and varied interests, that she had been dreaming about living in a cabin on the mountain for over ten years and to have that dream come true was ‘more than breathtaking’.
One slide appears to be out of focus, but further scrutiny reveals that this is a deliberate effect designed to give a feeling of motion to the image. Revell applied paint to watercolor paper then left it out in the rain and weather to allow nature to collaborate in the creation of a delicate and beautiful work of art.
“It is an expression of how one feels and their skill but also a combination of the earth coming together.”
Coming together, whether it be nature and art or a variety of people, is one of the artists basic values. When asked how her experience at Denali has changed her, Revell replied, “It has made me want to learn more about the park itself, and it’s prompted me to spend more time outdoors; truly experience Alaska in another way, in a richer more hands-on exposure. I’ve soaked in a lot of history, and I’m completely fascinated with it. I’d like to learn more about it. “
Faith Revell is the Curator of Education and Public Programs at the Valdez Museum and Historical Archives and a UAA adjunct professor who teaches fine arts at Prince William Sound Community College. She says she loves to make things by hand and experiment with a variety of media and methods including photography, painting in oil and acrylic on canvas and paper and drawing in charcoal and pen and ink.
“I have long been curious about the world and sentient beings. In late 2011 I moved to Valdez, Alaska, ready for a great adventure and new experiences that would land me in the middle of a grand and terrifying landscape. And connect me to nature and all its elements–in a way that previously I had only imagined, read about in books or saw pictured in film. In the past three years I have hiked the woods, walked the water’s edge, sat for hours watching the light change on mountains, danced in a sea of snow and observed the movement of birds. Using camera, paint, pencil and more I have captured some part of the magic of my experience and then shared it with others.” Excerpt from VCN story published May 14, 2015
She has been invited back for a third residency at Denali National Park.
|
|
The Artist in Residence is a national program that enables established artists of all mediums to reside in the state park while creating artwork inspired by their stay. Each artist offers a public presentation for visitors during their residency and donates work for the national park to display. The artists help raise awareness in many ways from advocating for environmental projects as well as by showcasing the beauty of the parks in their artwork.
This year the Denali National Park Artist in Residence program celebrates its 15th anniversary while the national park itself celebrates its 100-year anniversary.
From The National Park Service web site:
Artists have created art in national parks since the late 19th century when famed Hudson River School painters captured the majestic views of our nation’s western parks. Today, the sights and sounds in national parks continue to inspire artists in more than 50 residency programs across the country.
Whether staying in a remote wilderness cabin at Denali National Park and Preserve in Alaska or contemplating history at Herbert Hoover National Historic Site in Iowa or working in a contemporary studio overlooking the stone-lined fields at Weir Farm National Historic Site in Connecticut, these programs provide artists with unique opportunities to create works of art in varied natural and cultural settings.
There are programs for visual artists, writers, musicians, and other creative media. Programs vary, but residencies are typically 2 to 4 weeks in length and most include lodging. Often artists are invited to participate in park programs by sharing their art with the public.
Link to stories about Arts in the Parks
Photos courtesy of Faith Revell
