I’ve mentioned it before, but the Badlands are an amazing place. They’re filled with fossils, big horn sheep, black-footed ferrets, plenty of opportunities for hiking and biking, and thanks to the National Park Service’s Artist-in-Residence  Program, the occaisional writer, musician, or photographer.

What exactly is the artist-in-residency program? The Badlands National Park provides housing and a stipend for a 4-6 week period for artists from a variety of talents. This includes photography, writing, sketching, wood carving, painting, poetry, music, etc.

In return for the accommodations provided by the Badlands National Park, the artists are asked to contribute a piece of their art to the park and present their work in two sessions at a local school.

Some artists in residence that you may have read about recently in the news include my previous blog subject Ann Weisgarber, author of the award-nominated book The Personal History of Rachel Dupree and Alaskan photographer Carl Johnson.

Johnson was born at the Ellsworth Air Force Base and moved to Rapid City when he was four years old. He lived in the area throughout high school and would visit the Badlands frequently. Now, Johnson lives in Anchorage, and the artist-in-residence program has allowed him to “rediscover” the Badlands and continue with his love of outdoor and nature photography. To see some of his work and read his blog, take a look here.

If you’re an artist and find inspiration in the Badlands, you might want to consider applying for the Artist in Residence Program. You can find more info at the National Park Service Website.