{"id":78473,"date":"2026-08-04T10:24:36","date_gmt":"2026-08-04T17:24:36","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/in.nau.edu\/news\/?p=78473"},"modified":"2026-08-06T12:01:16","modified_gmt":"2026-08-06T19:01:16","slug":"a-new-part-for-emerging-artist","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/in.nau.edu\/news\/a-new-part-for-emerging-artist\/","title":{"rendered":"A new path for emerging artists"},"content":{"rendered":"

When\u00a0<\/span>David Politzer<\/span><\/b>, director of the School of Art and Design\u00a0(SoA+D), arrived at NAU four years ago, the first\u00a0SoA+D\/Grand\u00a0Canyon\u00a0Alumni exhibition had already been scheduled. After its success,\u00a0Politzer\u00a0met with\u00a0<\/span>Clover Morell<\/span><\/b>, who at the time was the new director of residency, and together,\u00a0they worked on making the\u00a0joint\u00a0exhibition an annual event. This venture\u00a0has now evolved into a residency\u00a0program\u00a0for emerging artists, giving NAU students the opportunity to shift from making\u00a0art for\u00a0a grade to building a professional career.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

During residency programs, artists can dedicate time to their creative work without worrying about day-to-day responsibilities. These programs\u00a0provide housing, workspace, resources, mentorship, community\u00a0engagement\u00a0and the opportunity to create a network where they can share ideas with other artists. Politzer said that in addition to these benefits, a residency for students also\u00a0serves\u00a0as a bridge between their academic careers and their next steps,\u00a0since\u00a0they can\u00a0continue to pursue\u00a0some of the\u00a0projects they were immersed in as students,\u00a0while\u00a0planning\u00a0for their future.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cLast fall, Clover explained her plan to add a new housing option that would allow them to host two artists simultaneously,\u201d Politzer said. \u201cHer plan to expand the number of residents included an \u201cemerging artist,\u201d who would be selected from a pool of NAU students. As you might imagine, this was music to my ears, since residency opportunities like this are rare in an artist\u2019s career, much less in such an impressive location.\u201d<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Caity Varian, associate director of marketing for Grand Canyon Conservancy\u00a0(GCC), said the partnership with NAU creates a dedicated pathway for early-career artists to gain\u00a0<\/span>professional experience at a pivotal moment in their careers\u00a0while engaging directly with one of the world’s most inspiring landscapes.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThis\u00a0collaboration strengthens regional connections by investing in artists who already have ties to\u00a0northern Arizona\u00a0while\u00a0encouraging new perspectives on Grand Canyon’s natural and cultural stories,\u201d Varian said.\u00a0\u201cThrough public programs and exhibitions, the residency also helps visitors and community members connect more deeply with the park through art.\u201d\u202f<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The first emerging artist residency<\/span><\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/h4>\n

The pilot program for the emerging artist residency started this summer\u00a0featuring\u00a0<\/span>Rain Orchard<\/span><\/b>,\u00a0a studio art major who graduated\u00a0summa\u00a0cum\u00a0laude this spring and was named distinguished\u00a0senior for the College of Arts and Letters.\u00a0Orchard\u2019s\u00a0emphasis on ceramics,\u00a0along with\u00a0their senior research project\u00a0funded through the Office of Undergraduate Research by the\u00a0SPArCS\u00a0Grant,\u00a0helped guide their creative path to the canyon.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI learned about the history of pottery in Arizona, about natural materials and geological maps, as well as\u00a0patterns to find out where clay is deposited,\u201d Orchard said.\u00a0\u201cAs the designer of the grant project and primary researcher,\u00a0I traveled around Arizona to source materials from public lands around the state,\u00a0collecting\u00a0clay and\u00a0then\u00a0testing\u00a0it\u00a0for shrinkage, color, melting\u00a0point\u00a0and\u00a0other materials it\u00a0contained. It was\u00a0a\u00a0life-changing\u00a0experience.\u201d<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

NAU selected Orchard\u00a0as the inaugural\u00a0artist in residence\u00a0because of\u00a0their exceptional artistic\u00a0practice and deep connection to the landscapes of the Colorado Plateau.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cRain\u00a0is a ceramic artist and\u00a0environmentalist\u00a0who creates multidisciplinary work using locally and ethically sourced wild clay alongside drawing,\u00a0metalwork\u00a0and printing,\u201d Varian said. \u201cTheir proposal to explore geological stories and ecological narratives at Grand Canyon closely\u00a0<\/span>aligns with the residency’s goals of fostering stewardship, place-based storytelling and public engagement.\u201d<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Orchard\u2019s\u00a0residency at\u00a0GCC\u00a0ran\u00a0from June 1 to\u00a0July 27\u00a0and\u00a0will result in a future\u00a0exhibition at\u00a0NAU\u2019s\u00a0Beasley Gallery. The work they developed during their time at\u00a0Grand Canyon National Park included a clay sculpture of a woman\u00a0representing\u00a0a spring, which Orchard said they hope helps bring awareness to the pollution of aquifers crisis in the canyon.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\"Clay<\/a>\u201cThe sculpture incorporates some of the geological textures of the canyon,\u201d Orchard said.\u00a0<\/span>\u201cIn her body\u00a0sit replications of the\u00a0Muav\u00a0limestone where the aquifer\u00a0is held. During my presentation, I\u00a0told\u00a0people about the geology that forms the aquifer, how the rock\u00a0was\u00a0deposited, what kind of qualities it has\u00a0and\u00a0how the shale interacts with the limestone\u00a0to create the springs that\u00a0not only carve the canyon,\u00a0but also support\u00a0life. But that was also a platform to talk about how the springs are being endangered by the Pinyon Plain mine, only seven miles south of Grand Canyon Village. The shaft goes directly into the\u00a0Mauv\u00a0aquifer and has been polluting the water with arsenic,\u00a0lead\u00a0and uranium. The research about how the mine is\u00a0impacting\u00a0the springs is just starting to happen, even though they started mining about two years\u00a0ago.\u00a0They have already pumped out over\u00a080 million gallons\u00a0of water from the aquifer,\u00a0which they hold\u00a0on\u00a0the surface, now polluted with toxins.\u201d<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Orchard has also been collecting textures of rocks from around\u00a0Grand\u00a0Canyon to show samples of rock formations without disturbing the natural habitat. They do this by taking\u00a0clay while on trails and along the rim of the canyon and using it like a stamp that\u00a0becomes\u00a0a negative mold.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI haven\u2019t taken or left anything from the\u00a0canyon\u2019s\u00a0environment,\u201d Orchard said. \u201cAfter creating the molds, I\u00a0leave\u00a0the rocks just as I found them. In reciprocity, I remove any trash I find on the trail. Additionally, I have used\u00a0specimens\u00a0from the Grand Canyon\u00a0visitor\u2019s\u00a0center\u00a0and\u00a0NPS\u00a0interpretive rock collections with the help of their curators and rangers, as well as from the amazing display along the Trail of Time. I was thrilled to run a handful\u00a0of public programs\u00a0where guests\u00a0helped make the molds and label them while I was teaching them about geology\u00a0and art. With their help, I have created about 200 stamps over the last two months. These will be my tools to continue integrating textures,\u00a0narratives\u00a0and connections of the canyon into my work as my art practice progresses. I hope to continue to reveal how humanity is a part of Earth\u2019s complex and beautiful systems.\u201d<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

What the collaboration means<\/span><\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/h4>\n

Politzer said teaching park visitors about their work\u00a0as part of the program\u00a0helps strengthen NAU\u2019s ties to the canyon and the community.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cOpportunities like this, when students practice speaking about their work to strangers,\u00a0teaches\u00a0them a skill they\u2019ll use the rest of their lives as artists,\u201d\u00a0Politzer\u00a0said. \u201cThey\u00a0also become excellent ambassadors for NAU and the\u00a0SoA+D, generating positive visibility for both.\u201d<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

For Varian, the\u00a0new\u00a0partnership\u00a0represents\u00a0an exciting evolution of\u00a0GCC\u2019s\u00a0<\/span>award-winning\u00a0residency\u00a0program by creating a new pathway specifically for emerging artists.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cBy partnering with\u00a0NAU, GCC is investing in the next generation of creative voices while strengthening connections between higher education, public lands and local\u00a0communities,\u201d Varian said.\u00a0\u201cThe collaboration reflects a shared commitment to using art as a tool for education, stewardship and helping people build lasting connections with Grand Canyon National Park.\u201d<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

For Orchard, the program\u00a0was a welcome bridge to start\u00a0their\u00a0professional career as an artist.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThis was\u00a0such a dream\u00a0come true,\u201d Orchard said.\u00a0\u201cTo\u00a0be an artist in residence\u00a0in\u00a0the canyon\u00a0was on my long-term goal list because the opportunity is competitive and for\u00a0well-established\u00a0artists, and instead,\u00a0this amazing opportunity\u00a0has helped\u00a0transform\u00a0me\u00a0from\u00a0a\u00a0baby artist\u00a0into\u00a0someone\u00a0who’s\u00a0doing\u00a0it on\u00a0their\u00a0own. Having an art practice with an audience, but also\u00a0with support after\u00a0graduation\u00a0has been amazing.\u00a0I’m\u00a0so grateful to the\u00a0conservancy and to the people\u00a0at NAU who made this\u00a0happen.\u00a0David Politzer,\u00a0<\/span>Tai\u00a0Lipan<\/span><\/b> and Clover Morell were great mentors and champions for me. It’s just been incredible.\u201d<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Orchard is scheduled to do a Science on Tap presentation delving into the Grand Canyon\u2019s geology and exploring the intersection of art and science from 6-7 p.m. Aug. 13, at Mother Road Brewery (<\/span>7 S\u00a0Mikes Pike) in Flagstaff.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Artists interested in applying for\u00a0the\u00a0NAU\/GCC\u00a0Emerging Artist Award\u00a0can\u00a0do so\u00a0in\u00a0January. Graduating seniors or recent alumni from NAU\u2019s\u00a0SoA+D\u00a0are encouraged to apply. Application details will be shared via email and in the\u00a0SoA+D\u00a0newsletter. For more information,\u00a0contact\u00a0<\/span>David Politzer via email<\/span><\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"Northern<\/a>Mariana Laas | NAU Communications
\n(928) 523-5050 | mariana.laas@nau.edu<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

When\u00a0David Politzer, director of the School of Art and Design\u00a0(SoA+D), arrived at NAU four years ago, the first\u00a0SoA+D\/Grand\u00a0Canyon\u00a0Alumni exhibition had already been scheduled. After its success,\u00a0Politzer\u00a0met with\u00a0Clover Morell, who at the time was the new director of residency, and together,\u00a0they worked on making the\u00a0joint\u00a0exhibition an annual event. This venture\u00a0has now evolved into a residency\u00a0program\u00a0for emerging…<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3019,"featured_media":78474,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[11,1829],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-78473","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-research-academics","category-student-edition"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/in.nau.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/78473","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/in.nau.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/in.nau.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/in.nau.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3019"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/in.nau.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=78473"}],"version-history":[{"count":6,"href":"https:\/\/in.nau.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/78473\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":78543,"href":"https:\/\/in.nau.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/78473\/revisions\/78543"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/in.nau.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/78474"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/in.nau.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=78473"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/in.nau.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=78473"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/in.nau.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=78473"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}