Shenandoah National Park has selected seven artists for its annual artist-in-residence program.
This program gives artists an opportunity to creatively explore the Shenandoah National Park’s natural and cultural resources and pursue their artistic discipline.
Each artist will spend three weeks in SNP and create an original piece reflecting the experience to donate to the park.
Artists also present public programs about their art and their residencies.
The artist-in-residence program is supported by donations to the Shenandoah National Park Trust.
Shenandoah National Park: 2025 artists in residence
The following artists have been selected for the 2025 artist-in-residence program.
Kris Grenier: May 9-30 (wool artist)
Grenier explores the profound connection between identity and environment by interpreting landscapes through two-dimensional, 100 percent wool feltings.
Known on the trail as “Rainbow Dash,” Grenier has logged nearly 10,000 miles in the backcountry, including a thru-hike of the Appalachian Trail that led her to Shenandoah National Park.
She earned a Bachelor of Arts in Environmental Studies and views her artistic role as more than just visual interpretation, she aims to inspire a conservation ethos in those who engage with her work.
As a juried artist in the Kentucky Crafted Program, Grenier earned a 2022 emerging artist grant from the Kentucky Arts Council and has presented her work in solo exhibitions across the Ohio Valley.
During her residency, she will create woolen portraits of wildflowers in the park celebrating the small wonders that surround us.
Michael Bidun: June 9-30 (photographer)
Bidun is a South Florida-based nature and wildlife photographer. He captures fleeting moments that often go unseen, such as a bear shaking off water after a salmon hunt or delicate light illuminating a dragonfly’s wings.
Drawing inspiration from the extraordinary in the ordinary, Michael uses his photographs to encourage people to care about what they don’t—or can’t—see, often drawing parallels between animal behavior and everyday human experiences.
Collectors have acquired his work, local exhibitions have featured it, and he has earned notable recognition in the South Florida art scene.
In 2025, he received awards including “Best in Photography” at the Pinecrest Gardens Art & Design Fair and “Artist of Note” at South Miami Art Fest.
Nicki Allen: July 11-Aug. 1 (fiber artist)
Allen is a fiber artist who works with fabric, dyes, needle and thread. For more than two decades, she has chosen quilting and fiber arts as her primary medium.
While she began with traditional quilt-making, her practice has evolved to include contemporary techniques and artistic expression. Traveling across the country and spending time in several national parks have profoundly shaped her artistic journey.
Nature serves as her main source of inspiration—its patterns, textures, and rhythms deeply influence her work. She also explores the connection between land and culture, examining how place shapes identity and fuels creativity.
A lifelong learner, she constantly refines her techniques and shares her passion through teaching and lectures.
Chelsie Ruiz Rivera: Aug. 4-25 (author)
Rivera is an author, backpacker and amateur naturalist. Originally from Kentucky, she looks forward to reconnecting with her Appalachian roots in Shenandoah National Park, offering nature writing workshops to park visitors while working on a novel about the Appalachian Trail.
Rivera writes both fiction and nonfiction, exploring themes of nature, otherness and belonging in the South.
She coauthored “How to Live in a Chaotic Climate” and earned a Master of Fine Arts and Bachelor of Arts in Creative Writing from Georgia College and State University and Agnes Scott College, respectively.
Dani Davis: Sept. 12-Oct. 3 (block printing)
Davis is a printmaker and plant ecologist based in the panhandle of Florida. She grew up exploring the piedmont forests of Georgia, where she fell in love with the flora and ecologies of the Southeast. That early connection continues to inspire her as she studies the interwoven relationships between human and natural systems.
As an artist, she focuses on reimagining the deep connectivity between these two interdependent worlds, viewing them as intrinsically linked and inseparable.
Through block printing, she investigates how fragmentation, species extinction and natural disasters disrupt these connections and reshape entire ecosystems.
Laura Wortman and Kagey Parrish: Oct. 8-29 (musicians)
Virginia natives Laura and Kagey of The Honey Dewdrops began touring in 2009 and have called Baltimore, Md., home for more than 10 years. Throughout their two-decade partnership, the Dewdrops have highlighted the power and intimacy of two voices and two instruments in both live performances and recordings.
The duo constantly push the boundaries of their experimental folk sound—blending electric and acoustic guitars, mandolin and clawhammer banjo—while weaving in tight vocal harmonies. They remain committed to deepening their understanding of the world through songwriting and music.
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Crystal Graham
