ALASKA – Artists have long contributed to the preservation and interpretation of our public lands. Just as nineteenth century painters inspired pride in America’s wild landscapes and influenced designation of our first parks, today’s artists continue to play a vital role in connecting people to the natural world.

In the Alaska Region, the Forest Service partners with the National Park Service and the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service to sponsor Voices of the Wilderness, an artist residency program that has grown to a multi-agency effort and is now celebrating its 12th anniversary.

This program is unique in that it is modeled after traditional residencies in the National Parks –but with a twist.  

Instead of staying at a remote wilderness cabin, our participating artists pair up with a wilderness specialist and both actively engage in stewardship projects, such as research, monitoring and education.

This gives the artists a sense of the stewardship behind America’s public lands, fostering an artistic exploration of these natural and cultural treasures. The hoped-for, and often achieved, result is artwork that communicates the meaning of these treasured lands. In the end, both the Forest Service and the public benefit greatly.

Artists join as volunteers and handle getting themselves to and from Alaska. In exchange for this opportunity, the artists donate a work of art and host a community-related event, such as a slideshow lecture or workshop.

The program is open to artists of all mediums, ranging from poets and dancers, to painters and sculptors.

Since the start of the program in 2010, over 80 artists spent time in Alaska’s Wilderness areas creating their works of art while enjoying all that the Alaska Region has to offer.