Texas dancer to be HSNP Artist-in-residence
Artist-in-residence is a unique program that allows artists the opportunity to lodge in a national park and create art inspired by the park.
Implemented by multiple national parks, Hot Springs National Park has been participating in the nationwide program since 2004 and has hosted 65 artists.
“There’s a rich history of art in national parks, and so from that, over time, has kind of spurred this Artist-in-residence program,” Kendra Barat, Hot Springs National Park’s volunteer coordinator, says.
“So parks will host artists for an extended period of time, it kind of varies from park to park, and their task is to produce art, whatever that means to them, in their medium, inspired by the natural and cultural resources of the park.”
Barat said the program is a chance for locals to gain a new perspective on the park and the nature surrounding it.
“It’s a really unique opportunity for us to kind of reframe how we view our resources in an artistic way. You know, we don’t often think in our day to day, how would a dancer view this trail … how would a sculptor view this rock formation … to see the park and its resources through their eyes and their lenses is unique for us because we get a different perspective,” she said.
“This year, we’re really excited,” Barat said. “We have a more robust program calendar than we’ve had in years past.”
The AIR this year will also be bringing a medium not yet experienced by the Hot Springs National Park program. Sofie van Doorn is a dancer from Austin, Texas, who has traveled internationally during her career, according to Barat.
Van Doorn is a “contemporary dancer and choreographer, she teaches ballet, contemporary dance and hip-hop at a dance school in the Netherlands, so we’re getting that worldly influence,” Barat said.
While here, van Doorn will be working on her art and will be leaving Hot Springs a piece, a requirement of the Artist-in-residence program. She will also be leading free programs for the community to attend, Barat said.
“The programs we have scheduled for her are going to include guided improvisation in the form of dance so it’s going to be very immersive and inclusive of participants and not just stagnant like an
audience watching a dancer,” she said.
“It’s open to all ages, all abilities, all skill levels. All are welcome, which I think is really, really cool … it’s just a chance to move your body and connect with the park a little bit more.”
All programs will be held at the Hot Springs National Park Cultural Center in the Ozark Bath House and are free and open for all to attend. The program schedule is 11 a.m. and 3 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 12, and 11 a.m. and 3 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 19.
Hot Springs National Park will also host a culminative performance and presentation during the final week of van Doorn’s residency. The time and location of this event will be determined closer to the date and published on the park’s website calendar as well as on the park social media, according to a news release.