Artist Elizabeth ‘Izzy’ Anderson

VCNP News:

JEMEZ SPRINGS – Valles Caldera National Preserve (VCNP) has selected five artists to take part in its inaugural Artist in Residence (AiR) program during the 2024 summer season.

Elizabeth “Izzy” Anderson has a multi-faceted career as a professional musician, an award-winning artist, and a published children’s book author and illustrator.

Rachel Black is a Principal Lecturer and Lead Faculty in the Foundations program at the College of Visual Arts and Design at the University of North Texas, where she has taught for 20 years.

Melissa Fu grew up in Los Alamos and is working on a novel that explores the impact of wildfires on Northern New Mexico over four decades through the story of three lifelong friends.

Dr. Heather Heckel, EdD is an award-winning artist and art educator in her 11th year of teaching public school art.

Lisa Spangler is a former software engineer and now website developer who is happiest when she’s outside painting the natural world around her.

Learn more about each artist at https://www.nps.gov/articles/000/valles-caldera-announces-2024-artists-in-residence.htm.

Through the AiR program, selected artists will immerse themselves in the park’s natural and cultural landscapes to create original artistic works inspired by the setting. During their residencies, they will also share their work with the public through presentations and interactive workshops.

“Valles Caldera is an awe-inspiring landscape,” Superintendent Jorge Silva-Bañuelos said. “We look forward to collaborating with the selected artists to inspire new ways of experiencing and interacting with Valles Caldera National Preserve. People come to national parks for many different reasons, and Artist in Residence programs provide extraordinary opportunities to connect with some of America’s most treasured places.”

Visit the park’s Calendar of Events webpage for upcoming Artist in Residence programs and interactive workshops (https://www.nps.gov/vall/planyourvisit/calendar.htm).