Department of Tourism, Sport and Culture
Applications are open for the next round of the Territory Wildlife Park’s Artists in the Park (AiP) residency program. AiP gives artists exclusive access to the Park’s fascinating collection of flora and fauna, which they use as inspiration for their work. Artists are also able to tap into the extensive knowledge of the Park’s zookeepers and guides.
The program is open to artists who work in a range of mediums, including painting and drawing, sculpture, textiles and fibres, photography, dance, theatre, writing, and new and mixed media.
Artists who have taken part in the program have also served as inspiration for others, with Charles Darwin University film studies student Ashleigh Abram creating a short film about some of the artists who took part in this year’s AiP.
Artists receive a 12-month pass to the Park and get behind-the-scenes access to animals and exhibits. Artists must be aged 18 or over. The closing date for applications is 30 November 2019. To register visit .
For an insight into AiP, watch Ashleigh Abram’s short film here:
As noted by Jasmine Jan, General Manager Visitor Services:
“The Artists in the Park program is a great opportunity for artists to immerse themselves in our natural world, which has proven to be a great source of inspiration for those who have taken part in the program previously.
“It is a chance for artists to develop their portfolio and showcase their work to Park visitors. There are also opportunities to get staff and visitors involved in community arts projects or workshops.
“AiP began in 2011 and since then we have welcomed more than 50 artists to the Park. The variety and standard of work we have seen them produce has been incredible.”
As noted by Lisa Thomason, AiP participant 2019, part of the Biota Lane artist collective:
“As an emerging artist, the Artist in the Park residency program has been an invaluable learning experience for me. It has offered me countless opportunities to explore and learn about our local environment in a unique in a creative way, gain confidence with media exposure as well as exhibit my art for the first time.
“The staff have been extremely helpful and generous in sharing their knowledge and expertise, and I have enjoyed the excitement, motivation and inspiration of being part of a larger art community.”
As noted by Maria Kraatz, AiP participant 2019:
“The Artist-in-the-park experience opened my mind to new possibilities and provided a beautiful place to relax and create. The creative and logistical support provided by the Park meant I could form a unique and substantial artwork that wouldn’t have been possible elsewhere.
“The Monsoon Forest habitat became the place where I could draw my artistic and professional lives together and highlight the importance of groundwater to life in the Top End.”
Images/Attachments/Visuals
Lisa Thomason – 2019 AiP participant, member of Biota Lane artist collective
Maria Kraatz – 2019 AiP participant, her clay sculpture is on display in the TWP Monsoon Forest Aviaries
Mermaid artwork ‘Muriel’ by Biota Lane artist collective, on display in the TWP aquarium
