Artist in Residence at Homestead National Monument of America

Nature as an Inspiration:  A Workshop with Artist-in-Residence Valerie Mann
 
Homestead National Monument of America is excited to welcome Valerie Mann, a sculptor, painter, and mixed media artist living in Ann Arbor, Michigan. Join her for a special presentation and workshop of nature-inspired art on Saturday, August 16 at 2 p.m. in the Education Center. This is the sixth year of the monument’s Artist-in-Residence program, and Mann is the fifth of nine artists visiting this year. There is no registration necessary and the program is free.
 
Having grown up on a large grain farm in Indiana, Mann knows about being completely at the mercy of Mother Nature. She also spent a year home-schooling her kids by exploring different national parks, where they learned a lot by experiencing the land, living simply, and meeting all kinds of people. She channels her deep connection to the world around her into her artwork, contemplating different aspects of balance and re-use. In the body of work she will pursue during her residency, she features birds as metaphors for bigger ideas like adaptation, evolution, purpose, practicality, and the ephemeral nature of our existence.
 
During her workshop on August 16, she will speak about her process of going from sketch to finished piece, of which she will have samples for everyone to view and touch. Then, she will share her approach to art as “creative problem-solving” by guiding a hands-on activity:  participants will reconnect to their creative sides by using Japanese brushes to record details of nature with ink on mat board.
 
Remember, Homestead National Monument of America has an exciting schedule of events planned for 2014. Keep up with the latest information by following us on Twitter (HomesteadNM), Facebook (HomesteadNM), and Instagram (HomesteadNPS).
 
Homestead National Monument of America is a unit of the National Park Service located four miles west of Beatrice, Nebraska and 45 miles south of Lincoln. Hours of operation are 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily. Admission is free of charge. For additional information, please call 402-223-3514 or visit http://www.nps.gov/home/.
 
EXPERIENCE YOUR AMERICATM
 
The National Park Service cares for special places saved by the American people so that all may experience our heritage.