Congratulations to Summer 2026 Isle Royale Artists-in-Residence, Emerging Artists, and Teen Artists

Date:
April 20, 2026
Contact: Christopher M. Amidon , (906) 482-0984

HOUGHTON, Mich. - Isle Royale National Park is proud to announce the chosen summer 2026 artists for its artist-in-residence programs.

The artists chosen for the Established Artist-in-Residence are:

• Ellie Anderson (Fiber, Chicago, Illinois)
• Amber Dietz (Photography, Detroit, Michigan)
• Katey Funderburgh (Poetry, Fairfax, Virginia)

Five artist-in-residence alternates were chosen:

• Paul Atkinson (Photography, Raleigh, North Carolina)
• Rachel Black (Oil, Irving, Texas)
• Anangookwe Wolf (Mendota Heights, Minnesota)
• Luisa Barron (Writing, Marquette, Michigan)
• Joe Blanchard & Maya Reter (Audio fiction, Chicago, Illinois)

The artists chosen for the Emerging Artist Experience are:

• Sheila Babbitt (Photography, Grand Rapids, Michigan)
• Patty Durell (Writing, Troy, Michigan)
• Claire Foxworth (Gouache, North Hollywood, California,)
• Jaimie, Krankel (Oil, Oxford, Michigan)

Five emerging artist alternates were chosen:

• Allison Campbell (Drawing & Writing, New Orleans, Louisiana)
• Janel Crooks (Watercolor, Munising, Michigan)
• Corrina Stadler (Photography, Olympia, Washington)
• Annesha Sengupta (Writing, Chicago, Illinois)
• Svea Van de Velde (Watercolor, New York, New York)

The artists chosen for the Teen Artist Exploration are:

• Kara Bolognino (Acrylic, Plymouth, Minnesota)
• Julia Thomas (Acrylic, Raymond, New Hampshire)

Five teen artist alternates were chosen:

• Adele Freistroffer (Watercolor, Fort Wayne, Indiana)
• Jade Piko (Acrylic, Lancaster, Ohio)
• Meg Ruohonen (Acrylic, Atlantic Mine, Michigan)
• Sylvia Strelish (Oil & Acrylic, Scottsdale, Arizona)
• Mea Wesley (Watercolor, Indian River, Michigan)

Isle Royale received 237 applications for the 2026 selection cycle. Artists in many mediums displayed professionalism, creativity, and a mix of traditional and modern art styles.

The Established Artist-in-Residence Program offers established writers, composers, and visual and performing artists the opportunity to become part of a long tradition of interpreting national parks through art during a 2 - 3 week residency.

The Teen Artist Exploration is geared for aspiring teen artists who want to develop their art through experiencing wilderness. It is open to all visual and performing artists, writers, and composers ages 13 to 18 at time of summer participation.

Emerging Artist Experience is a one-week, shared camping immersion for early-career artists who have begun to develop a focused creative practice but are not yet able to compete for the Established Artist-In-Residence opportunity.

These programs are co-sponsored by Isle Royale National Park and the Copper Country Community Arts Council. More information can be found at www.nps.gov/isro/getinvolved/artist-in-residence.htm.

www.nps.gov

About the National Park Service. More than 20,000 National Park Service employees care for the 430+ parks in the National Park System and work with communities across the nation to help preserve local history and create close-to-home recreational opportunities. Visit us at www.nps.gov, on Facebook www.facebook.com/nationalparkservice, X https://x.com/natlparkservice, and YouTube www.youtube.com/national park service.