WEST GLACIER — Glacier National Park's 2021 Artist-in-Residence program will host Brad Einstein, Kyle Niemer, and Imma Barrera.
Brad Einstein and Kyle Niemer (June 1 – June 29)
Brad Einstein and Kyle Niemer are self-described “natural comedians.” Their work melds stunning visuals, unexpected humor, and the odd person in an animal costume to create nature documentaries that explore America’s wild wonders and the issues facing them.
The pair have been named Crater Lake National Park’s 2019 Artists-in-Residence, 2020 USDA Forest Service’s “Voices of the Wilderness”, and helped secure funding for the first-ever educational signage at the Pando Clone Forest, the largest organism on Earth. They have served as wilderness production consultants to the Atlantic Re:think, and their work has been featured in The Salt Lake Tribune, Comedy Central’s Yes And Laughter Lab, Outside Online, and film festivals across the country.
Called a “Brilliant Comedy Mastermind” by Time Out New York, Brad has written for Billy on the Street and The Onion News Network, scripted live events for The Tribeca Film and Aspen Ideas Festivals, and created digital campaigns for numerous Netflix shows, including Springsteen on Broadway and Adam Sandler: 100% Fresh. He has performed with the Second City National Touring Company, played a drug dealer on Shameless, provided the voice of numerous video game cowboys, and is the host and creator of Encyclopedia Commedia at Caveat Theatre New York.
Kyle is an 11-time Telly Award-winning director of commercials, television, and digital content. Specializing in backcountry & documentary filmmaking, his digital content has been streamed in the millions. He has worked with noted brands across the country, including Discovery Networks, REI, Outside Magazine, VICE, NPS, Sonic and Winnebago.
Imma Barrera (July 2-July 30)
Imma Barrera is a landscape and nature photographer who is focusing her residency on capturing Glacier’s night sky. She is a graduate of NY Institute of Photography, won several awards and exhibited her photography in a number of galleries worldwide.
One of her favorite subjects to photograph is the Milky Way and moon landscapes. She has been selected for several Artist-in-Residence programs including; Capitol Reef National Park and Acadia National Park for her night sky photography. She was shortlisted in the Landscape category of the 2019 Sony World Photography Awards’ Professional competition with her series “Under the Night Sky.” She is also involved in educational programs about photography and seminars to raise awareness about the need to protect our natural treasures. Barrera has a published book about the night skies in New Jersey and New York and is working on another book covering several US national parks at night.
Glacier’s call for artists for 2022/23 will open on August 1- August 31 on the CaFE website. Three artists for Glacier’s 2022 and 2023 AiR programs will be selected from this call and chosen by the week of November 7, 2021. For more information on the Artist-in-Residence program, please go to the Glacier National Park website here.
The program offers professional artists the opportunity to pursue their artistic discipline while surrounded by the park’s inspiring landscape. Each artist will pursue their work while in the park, and then engage and inspire the public through outreach programs. Public programs will be related to their experience as the Artist-in-Residence and historically have been demonstrations, talks, exploratory walks, or performances. Depending on COVID-19 mitigations required by the NPS, which change in response to CDC and local guidelines, these presentations may look different in 2021.The safety of the selected Artists-in-Residence and the public is paramount. Digital images of selected work produced as a part of the residency may be used in park publications, websites and presentations for education and outreach.
The Glacier landscape has long inspired art and expression, from traditional dances and stories to serving as a summer residence and source of creativity for the famous painter Charlie Russell. In present day, art in the park continues in the form of the Artist-in-Residence program, countless art workshops held in and around the park, and with thousands of visitors who come each year bringing easels, cameras, and other tools to capture the beauty around them. Art inspired by Glacier regularly appears in both local and worldwide gallery shows and museums.
