Shenandoah National Park selects Nancy Hershberger for the May Artist-in-Residence program

Shenandoah National Park announced the selection of Nancy Hershberger, a fiber artist, as the May Artist-in-Residence.

As a former Artist-in-Residence at the Great Smoky Mountains National Park and Manassas National Battlefield Park, Nancy says that “artists are influenced by their surroundings and experiences. I never miss an opportunity to encourage artists to look at our National Parks from a different perspective; that of an artist-in-residence.

Shenandoah National Park is one of the most hauntingly beautiful places in the country. I have no doubt that it will influence my work for years to come.”

Nancy’s residency will run through May 23. She will be hosting a watch party on Facebook during her residency. For the date and time of the program, please follow Shenandoah National Park on Facebook at www.facebook.com/shenandoahnps.

Following the watch party, the program will be posted on YouTube at www.youtube.com/user/ShenandoahNPS.

Shenandoah National Park is a jewel among National Park Service sites and offers a distinctive array of natural, cultural, and recreational opportunities for visitors. The Artist-in-Residence program is established in numerous National Park Service sites to inspire artists to create and share art that not only motivates and encourages millions of people to visit and explore, but also helps build awareness and develop stewardship of these beautiful public lands.

Superintendent Pat Kenney said “Art has a long connection to our National Parks, going back to Thomas Moran and William Henry Jackson, who’s art helped in the creation of our first national park, Yellowstone. We are very happy to see this connection to art continued at Shenandoah National Park. We look forward to seeing how the park inspires Nancy’s artwork.”

Shenandoah’s Artist-in-Residence program is supported by a generous donation from the Shenandoah National Park Trust.

“Donors to the Shenandoah National Park Trust are proud to fund programs like Artist-in-Residence, which is creating news ways to connect people’s lives to nature and encouraging visitors’ to deepen their connections to nature,” stated Shenandoah National Park Trust Executive Director Jessica Cocciolone.

To learn more about the Trust,, visit www.snptrust.org.

More information about the Artist–in-Residence program can be found on the park’s website at www.nps.gov/shen/getinvolved/supportyourpark/artist-in-residence.htm