Artist in Residence Highlights 2017

Alaska Maritime National Wildlife Refuge

Andrea Nelson | Assemblage artist from Haines, AK

“After weather and volcanic ash cancellations, I arrived by small plane on Attu, the westernmost island of the Aleutian Chain. For 10 inspiring days I explored a remote, war-torn landscape amongst a vast spectacle of birds, weather, and plants emerging from their winter slumber. Layers of history were reflected on a land impacted by Unangax (Aleut), Russian, Japanese and American military personnel. In 1942 the Japanese invaded the island, sent the native Unangax villagers to Japan as prisoners of war, and settled in. Occupation of the island culminated in the only ground battle of World War 2 fought on American soil. Aside of military bunkers, fox holes, and hundreds of post-war structural remains, was evidence of Unangax occupation spanning thousands of years, including prehistoric middens and village sites. There will be a traveling exhibit about Attu commemorating the 75th anniversary of the WW2 battle, which will include several of my assemblages. These artistic compositions aim to explore Attu’s tragic human history in stark contrast to its overwhelming natural beauty – one of the most unique bird habitats in the world, and now occupied by none.”

Alaska Maritime National Wildlife Refuge

Nancy Lord | Writer from Homer, AK

  “What an amazing opportunity!—to travel on the USFW ship Tiglax to two uninhabited islands at the end of the Aleutian chain, sites of World War II Japanese occupation and the battle of Attu in 1943. The F&W staff did an outstanding job to get us ashore and around the islands and in sharing a wealth of information about war activities as well as the natural history and values as public lands. The earliest inhabitation by Unangan people, the Russian and early American periods, WWII with the capture of Attuans and the Japanese occupation, the retaking by Allied troops, the post-war period as American military bases, today’s public ownership and the resilience of the land—these are all fascinating stories we’ll be sharing through our art.”

Alaska Maritime National Wildlife Refuge

Irene Owsley | Photographer from Santa Fe, NM

  “Writer Nancy Lord and I collaborated on a project with images and words to interpret what we experienced of WWII battle sites and Japanese occupation still visible on the Aleutian islands of Attu and Kiska. Travel on the R/V Tiglax was truly an adventure, and we experienced all kinds of weather and seas….bird and aquatic life….wild headlands, the last of wildflowers….and of course the otherworldly remnants of WWII. We disembarked at various locations by zodiac to explore and learn both the natural and human history of these remote islands. The goal of our contribution to the refuge is to offer an insightful, artistic response to the importance of these islands in WWII history and how the refuge might share this with the general public given the difficulty of access.”

Lake Clark National Park and Preserve

Robin Peterson | Multi-media artist from Vaughn, WA

  “Lake Clark National Park is all it’s cracked up to be…and more. Via light aircraft, park staff exposed me to a variety of spectacular wilderness landscapes; glacier clad mountains, alpine tundra, lakes, riparian wetlands, coastal tide flats and salt marshes. Yes, it’s about brown bears and their relationship with humans made possible by this unique habitat. Yes, Dick Proennecke’s cabin is a monument to craftsmanship and self-sufficiency. It’s also about native Dena’ina land use ethic and the science of salmon monitoring. It is a living laboratory for successful cohabitation within wilderness. As an illustrator, this experience continues to inspire. As a human deeply committed to keeping the promise of wilderness protection it provides an opportunity for engagement and sharing. What could be better than that?”

Misty Fjords National Monument
Tongass National Forest

Robert Isenberg | Audio/podcast work from Boston, MA

“In August, I spent nine days in Ketchikan, Alaska, working closely with forest ranger Aubrey Saunders. Our plan was to spend four days in the Misty Fjords wilderness area, including an overnight on a special barge and kayaking in the region’s many inlets. The weather did not cooperate, and the combined threat of rough seas and tempestuous winds prevented us from even entering Misty Fjords. In the meantime, we toured Ketchikan and its environs. We hiked to the Silvis Lakes, visited Ward Lake, and walked along the Rainbird Trail. On our penultimate day, Aubrey arranged a flight to Big Goat, enabling us to survey the wreckage of a floatplane and also to view Misty Fjords from the air. On my morning of my departure, we motored out to a bear observatory and retrieved two volunteers. I encountered a number of animals I had never seen in the wild, such as seals, bald eagles, and numerous black bears.

Nellie Juan-College Fiord Wilderness Study Area
Chugach National Forest

Kristin Link | Scientific Illustrator from Glenallen, AK

 “As an artist who lives on a river that flows into Prince William Sound I’ve always been fascinated by the lush coastal landscape a hundred miles away. I got a good overview of the Nellie-Juan College Fiord Wilderness Study Area as I travelled by glacier cruise boats, kayak, and foot as artist in residence. I was able to document my experiences hiking through the forest to hidden lakes, kayaking past icebergs, and walking by bogs and quiet beaches with my camera and sketchbook. In addition I participated in the week-long teacher training workshop where we base camped at Derickson Spit and a trail crew survey where we travelled all over the WSA from Esther Island to Deep Water Bay. One of my favorite memories is when we had boat troubles and spent a couple of hours in the middle of the Sound on a sunny calm day watching Humpback whales and puffins pass by.”

Kootznoowoo Wilderness

Tony Piedra | Children’s Book Author/Illustrator from Burbank, CA

 “During my stay at Pack Creek in July 2017, I came to know of an old female bear named Patches. Amongst the rangers I stayed with there was some debate as to whether she had passed away or not because she had not been seen for several days. You see Patches was the oldest known female to frequent the fishing grounds of Pack Creek. She was estimated to be around 30 years old, which is in the upper end of life expectancy for coastal brown bears. She also suffered from a twisted, broken back leg, which limited her mobility and a split nose the result of some past altercation.

Innoko National Wildlife Refuge

Christina Chan | Illustrator from Arcadia, CA

 “I spent twelve days in the Innoko Wildlife Refuge, exploring just a small portion of its 3.85 million acres, with the amazing Galena Fish and Wildlife Service men and women. It was my first time in such a vast wilderness and with roughly 6 hours of boating per day, we did a total of 600 miles on the Yukon and Innoko River. Along the Yukon River, we stopped at the villages of Grayling, Holy Cross, Shagluk, Anvik, and explored abandoned Halikacuk. We woke up to the sounds of trumpeter swans, raven fledging crying for food, and the beat of the grouse. I listened to the songs of the elders and the dance of the youths at Denakkanaga, a conference of Native Elders. I followed the prints of wolves, foxes, bears, weasels, ducks, geese, and moose along the bank of the Innoko. I tasted wild Alaskan roses, fireweed, nettles, blue bells, and fresh caught Pike. For a city girl living in Los Angeles, this was a once in a lifetime opportunity and experience!

Koyukuk National Wildlife Refuge

Erin Robertson | Writer from Louisville, CO

 “I spent 12 extraordinary days in interior Alaska with amazing biologist/educator/kindred spirit Karin Bodony, and wrote over 100 poems. We surveyed the Yukon for peregrine falcons, and canoed and swam in the slough.  We flew over meandering rivers to the sprawling Nogahabara Dunes where we found caribou antlers, prehistoric artifacts, and otherworldly textural beauty.  We woke to the sounds of loons, cranes, and swans.  We examined soil core stories and bubblegum-pink fireweed against stark, charred trunks. Karin's family immersed me in community events and gave me an authentic taste of local culture (mmm...moose...).  I went home with new friends, wolf fur, sourdough starter, and the knowledge that I am a Person Who Does This Sort of Thing - someone warmly welcomed to The Last Frontier.”

Tebenkof Bay Wilderness
Tongass National Forest

Eric Esterle | Wildlife and Landscape Photographer from Ellicott City, MD

“As a selectee for the 2017 Voices Of The Wilderness Program, in July I spent two weeks off-grid with the U.S. Forest Service in the designated wilderness of Tebenkof Bay and Kuiu areas of Southeast Alaska.  We kayak-camped from island to island monitoring everything from invasive plant species to gathering metrics on any human-caused impacts we came across. The Forest Service provided an historical background on the native Alaskans who first inhabited the area.  As a photographer, the designated wilderness areas of Southeast Alaska provided a serene and magical location to gather beautiful landscape panoramas of the inlets and surrounding forests. The seclusion provided for an intimate experience for photographing protected and endangered species. Imagine listening to the call of humpback whales above water as you kayak! As a wildlife and landscape photographer being able to photograph protected and threatened species in a pristinely managed wilderness area was an experience of a lifetime. Humpback bubblenet feeding, single and double breaches with beautiful forests in the background, bald eagles and eaglets in their nest, other raptors, dolphin, salmon, sea otters and their pups, river otters, and black bear were a few of the species we responsibly encountered.”

Togiak Wilderness
Togiak National Wildlife Refuge

Shawna Pickinpaugh | Multi-media artist from Lander, WY

“Art is an integral part of my life; it continually pulls and stretches me in new and exciting directions. No matter what is going on in my life I constantly feel the need to make art, teach art, see art, and learn more about art. It is the way I relate to the world. I have always considered myself a painter, however over the years I have been drawn to ceramics, because I love to produce and see instant results. I have a passion for surface decoration and enjoy painting and carving. I have been experimenting with a new painting medium called Quink. I am painting with it, using watercolor techniques and have been excited about the effects I am getting in my paintings. The work I submitted to the Togiak National Wildlife office was done using Quink.

Tracy Arm-Ford’s Terror Wilderness
Tongass National Forest

Paul Driscoll | Writer/illustrator from Clancy, MT

Tracy Arm-Ford’s Terror Wilderness
Tongass National Forest

Lisa Grossman | Painter from Lawrence, KS

“What a singular experience--to accompany U.S. Forest Service TAFT Wilderness Rangers in Endicott Arm Fjord for a six-day excursion! I’m an avid kayaker—in Kansas—and have never been to Alaska or kayaked on tidewaters, so I especially appreciated the expertise of Ranger Chrissy, who taught me so much about this unspeakably beautiful wilderness and kayak-camping in it. I felt honored to glimpse what is required to manage such a vast, wild land of many uses for its “wilderness character” and the many collaborative partnerships it takes to accomplish their stewardship goals, including artists-in-residence!

West Chichagog-Yakobi Wilderness
Tongass National Forest

Megan Perra | Silk screener from Portland, OR

 “In July, I spent 8 days sea-kayaking with a team of 5 other incredibly capable woman in the West Chichagof-Yakobi Wilderness of the Tongass National Forest. Together, we traversed the coast of West Chichagof, navigating between small clusters of islands and inlets to monitor old camps and archeological sites. The further we were from civilization, the more acutely aware I became of its impact; climate change has left swathes of dead yellow cedars on the hillsides and jellyfish clusters so thick it’s hard to see the sandy bottom. But in spite of this, there’s still a magic to the place, a hypnotism in the waves that’s hard to shake. I will never forget the sound of otters knocking clamshells in the evening or whale spouts fading into mist. This experience has been one of the most definitive adventures of my life, and I can only hope that this program continues to inspire others.”