I was selected to be part of the first Artists-In-Leadership cohort in Franconia Sculpture Park, along with fellow artists Ivonne Jasso Yáñez and Fletcher Wolfe. Franconia Artists-in-Leadership is a new program as of 2024, designed to give young artist-leaders opportunities to develop and execute programs in a nonprofit environment.

For this program, I helped design general and sculpture signage across the park, along with my initiative The Prairie at the Park, showcasing some of the prairie flora and fauna found at Franconia. After meeting with fellow artist Torey Erin, who granted me access to her research on Franconia’s native species, I selected to showcase 18 flora and fauna species divided into three main subjects: sights, sounds, and tastes. I did further research to create informational sheets for each of these 18 species, reflecting their importance to the prairie ecosystem and the life at the park.

I am very grateful to Alex Legeros (Executive Director), Michael Legan (Site Manager and Lead Preparator), Jane Borstad (Manager of Marketing and Design), and Torey Erin for their help and feedback throughout this Fellowship.

Photo by Lorie Shaull