Selections Made for 2015-2016 Joshua Tree National Park Artist-in-Residence Program

Joshua Tree, California - Joshua Tree National Park and the Joshua Tree National Park Association are pleased to announce the selections for the 2015-­2016 Artist-­in­-Residence (AIR) Program. One writer and five visual artists have been invited to participate in the program's eighth year of hosting artists from around the country.

The selectees are: Sarah Tourjee (Providence, RI—­poet); Rebecca Reeve (Brooklyn, NY—­photographer); Miguel Navarro (Pasadena, CA—­sculptor); Marina Mangubi (Berkeley, CA—­multimedia); Luke Matjas (Camarillo, CA—muralist); Kim Zitzow (Chesterfield, VA—­installation artist).

Each artist-­in-­residence will be provided with accommodations inside the park for a three­ week period to work on a project proposed through the application process. The residencies will take place during the months of September-­November 2015 and February-­May 2016. Artists will produce a program, presentation, or exhibit to engage members of the community during the residency or at some point afterward.

The jury of seven local artists also selected ten alternates who may participate in the AIR program if there are openings occasioned by unexpected circumstances. David Smith, Superintendent of Joshua Tree National Park, said, "Although art is important to all parks, I think it is especially relevant to the communities surrounding Joshua Tree National Park. If you visit their galleries, the park is a predominant feature in many of the works on display. The AIR program is our opportunity to connect to people from outside the Morongo Basin and the Coachella Valley and give them a chance to connect with this resource. Art becomes an ambassador for the California Desert, sharing the beauty of our parks and public lands. Seeing world ­class artists in the park capture the beauty of Joshua Tree, and then sharing it with our visitors is one of the true gifts of the AIR program. We are honored to support it."

For more information about Joshua Tree National Park/Joshua Tree National Park Association's Artist­in-­Residence Program, please contact Caryn Davidson, Park Liaison for the AIR Program at 760­ 367­3012, or Meg Foley, Executive Director of the JTNPA at 760 ­367­-5530.