An award-winning Arizona State Parks artist residency program piloted last year continues this week at Oracle State Park. Bisbee-based clay artist Chloe Foster began a three-week residency at the park on April 20, 2025.
The Arizona State Parks artist residency program is a collaborative initiative between Arizona State Parks and Trails (ASPT) and the Arizona Commission on the Arts (Arts Commission) and funded by the Arizona Community Foundation.
Through the residency program, artists spend up to three weeks residing and creating art in an Arizona state park. Oracle State Park – a 4,000 acre wildlife refuge in the northern foothills of the Catalina Mountains approximately 35 miles north of Tucson – hosted three artist residencies last year and will again host this latest residency.
As part of her residency, Chloe Foster will open her studio to the public on Sunday, April 27, 2025, from 10:00 am to 12:00 pm. Park visitors are invited to meet Chloe, learn about her artistic process, view pieces being worked on, and maybe even get their hands on some clay!
The program’s pilot year was recently honored with the Award of Distinction at Arizona Forward’s 43rd Environmental Excellence Awards.
“We are so excited to continue this program with the Arizona Commission on the Arts and Oracle State Park,” said Arizona State Parks and Trails Deputy Director Sarah Webber. “Nature is an inspiration to so many, and spending time in nature can help with physical, mental, and spiritual health. What better way to blend the two than showcasing this inspiration through art?”
About the Artist
Chloe Foster is a clay artist currently living in Bisbee, Arizona. She is a ceramic studio technician and lover of firing kilns. Chloe’s sculptural work is abstract yet often reminiscent of beings of life that span ecosystems: termites mounds; mycelium; seed pods; weathered sandstone. Chloe is striving to shift her work locally by harvesting wild clay and firing it with wood. She is inspired by the ancient thread of potters who listened intuitively to the Earth and learned to create and fire vessels with it.
Fall Residency Accepting Applications
Even as Chloe begins her residency, the Arizona Commission on the Arts is accepting applications for a fall residency at Patagonia Lake State Park. The fall 2025 residency will span three weeks between October 29 – November 24, 2025, based on resident availability. In addition to on-site housing and workspace, the selected artist will receive a $7,000 stipend and $1,500 materials budget. The application can be found at https://azarts.gov/programs/arizona-state-parks-artist-residency/.
We’re staying closer to our Phoenix home for the next Community Conversations, visiting the west and east valley!
Join us in Peoria at Theater Works on May 21 for one of two sessions in the Phoenix area.
Then catch us in Mesa at the Mesa Main Library on May 22!
RSVP now via the QR code, the link in our bio, or our website.