NEST-MRS ART &
SCIENCE RESIDENCY
Fully funded by the Nature, Environment, Science, and Technology (NEST) Studio for the Arts, I lived with a group of artists at the CU Mountain Research Station (MRS) for two weeks in June 2026. The MRS is a premier alpine research facility nestled in the Rocky Mountains near Nederland, Colorado. As an artist-in-residence, I shadowed ecologists and climate scientists working in the field, while completely designing my own work goals and schedule. My time at the MRS culminated in a set of three paintings highlighting and enlarging underappreciated features of alpine nature. They are on permanent display in the Marr Lab at the Mountain Research Station, fully accessible to the public.
Artist Statement
We all know to appreciate mountain peaks and colorful sunsets, but what about the texture of aspen bark or the speckles of lichen gripping a boulder? Appreciating the land means appreciating all of it, recognizing a life and spirit in its most mundane features. Through highlighting and enlarging the too-often overlooked features of alpine landscapes, my paintings force viewers to see what is right in front of them.
From left to right: “Aspen Bark”, “Drowning in Lichen”, and “Sea of Lichen”. All three pieces are acrylic on canvas.
Fieldwork
MRS Exhibition
“CU Boulder Today” Video Spotlight
“Sea of Lichen” Process
“Drowning in Lichen” Process
“Aspen Bark” Process
