By Christine Gianas Weinheimer EBS CONTRIBUTOR
Yellowstone
National Park’s hub for artists—from first-timers to professionals—is now open
for the summer season. Park visitors can stop by the Yellowstone Art and
Photography Center near Old Faithful to view works of art, interact with
artists, and even create their own masterpiece.
Art and
photography played a central role in the establishment of Yellowstone as the
world’s first national park, and Yellowstone continues to inspire today. The center’s
gallery features a permanent collection of historic and contemporary art and
photography with Yellowstone as the subject, and temporary exhibits change each
summer. But, as the center’s coordinator, Jessie Knirsch, explains, the space
is about creating as much as viewing.
“This is
an interactive and dynamic space to learn about the importance of art to the
park,” Knirsch said. “By participating in programs, watching artists at work,
or simply checking out the gallery, visitors can experience Yellowstone through
another’s interpretation and develop their own.”
Visitors of all ages and levels of
experience are encouraged to take part in hands-on activities. Coloring,
drawing and activity sheets are available throughout the day, and the center offers
a free watercolor program daily at 11 a.m. and 2 p.m.
“Visitors
have an opportunity to create their own handmade souvenir of their time in
Yellowstone. They can choose between painting Old Faithful or walking to the
river and enjoying a quiet break from the crowds,” Knirsch said.
All programs
are free and include supplies. For those who wish to create art on their own, the
center sells photography supplies and art-based products.
Visitors to
the center also have a chance to interact with and learn from professional
artists. Artists-in-Residence for Yellowstone Forever, the park’s official
nonprofit partner, live and work in Yellowstone and engage with park visitors.
Ten artists will reside at the center for a week or more this summer to create
art and share their creativity through workshops and lectures.
“For nearly
150 years artists of all disciplines have been inspired by the limitless and
continually changing landscape of Yellowstone,” Knirsch said. “The Artists-in-Residence
program provides them with undisturbed time to create work in Yellowstone while
living within the park and completely immersing themselves in its scenery and
culture.”
The
Yellowstone Art and Photography Center is located between the Visitor Education
Center and Old Faithful Lodge, in a historic building that was restored and
repurposed by Yellowstone Forever. The center is open for the season through
Sept. 30, seven days a week, from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Visit yellowstone.org/art for a schedule of artists and programs.
Christine Gianas Weinheimer lives in Bozeman and
has been writing about Yellowstone for 17 years.
