Conservation + Recreation: October 2009
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 America's Best Idea: The Art of the Park |
The Past
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"In our national parks are lakes more blue, wild flower gardens more enchanting, mountains more grand, forests more imposing, and waterfalls, geysers, glaciers, caves, and canyons more wonderful than are to be found anywhere else..." -- New York Times, May 30, 1916Are you watching? See The National Parks: America's Best Idea on your local PBS station until October 2. Or watch online until October 9. The PresentThe National Park Service is making America's best idea even better. Today, the NPS is helping people in nearly 300 communities across America get outside and live healthier, more active, happier lives--making America's Best Idea even better. Watch video on how communities are building new places for healthy recreation. The FutureThe National Park Second Century Commission recognizes Conservation and Recreation programs. Read the report (PDF, 3.3MB) for a glimpse into the future of the Park Service, including the recommendation: "...that established community assistance programs be fully funded and recognized as integral to the Park Service mission." (p. 28)Commissioners observed that "The tremendous status of the National Park Service...inspires pride and determination in people working on local projects." (p.28) Their report illustrated this point by relating the story of how the National Park Service helped Caldwell, Idaho bring life back to its downtown by healing the stream that flows through it. Read about the project in Landscape Architecture magazine (PDF, 1.9MB). |
Artists in the Parks: Documentation and Interpretation
The movement to create a system of national parks grew, in part, from the work of artists like Thomas Moran and
William Henry Jackson , which helped begin a dialog about preserving for future generations the inspiring landscapes they painted. The tradition of art in the parks continues today. In many parks, volunteer artists-in-residence (AIR) help visitors interpret and explore the parks through their art.
Landscape painting and photography remain indispensable ways of interpreting the parks. Some artist-in-residence programs also embrace writers, performers, videographers, sculptors, and composers. Many parks are open the concept of idea-driven art, including discussions of issues like global warming or indigenous people's rights.
In fact, that's the mandate at the Grand Canyon National Park. October will see the jewel tone landscape paintings of Susan Klein from Sarasota, FL. Slightly less traditionally, Randy Erwin, a musician, cowboy storyteller, and yodeler from Springfield, Illinois will do three performances this November through his residency.
 Rene Westbrook is Grand Canyon's South Rim Artist-in-Residence Coordinator, a role dedicated to arts administration (and one she enjoys immensely). Rene started in May and has already rewritten the criteria and guidelines for the program and its artists. And she is planning to build a website about the artists they're bringing to the park-both to let the public know about program and to be a resource for artists who wish to be part of the program.
Not surprisingly, advocates for community-level recreation projects and local land conservation also are using art in all kinds of ways. The Art in Community Landscapes report illustrates some of the ways art can reveal local history and heritage, help residents re-imagine their communities, and catalyze public support for new parks or trails.
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A Tip of the Hat to...
 Dennis Chestnut, Executive Director
Groundwork Trust Anacostia River
Washington, DC
Goundwork Anacostia is one of the newest programs of NPS partner Groundwork USA, which works to restore degraded urban lands to benefit local residents. Dennis grew up in the Northeast section of D.C. and as a child swam in the Watts Branch tributary of the Anacostia River. Chris Niewald has been working alongside Dennis with this project since 2007, and is clearly glad to know him:
"Frankly, I cannot say enough about how rewarding it is working with Dennis. He has literally rejuvenated my professional (and personal) drive and made my work with the NPS much more enjoyable and rewarding. I've never seen anyone work harder, stay more focused on a goal, or be as open to new ideas as Dennis. He has boundless energy, is a master of community organizing, he finds the positive in everyone he works with and in everything he does. From pushing wheelbarrows to pushing politicians, no one does it better."
-- Chris Niewold, NPS National Capital Region |
