Grand Canyon Astronomer in Residence

The Grand Canyon Astronomer in Residence Program invites artists, educators, advocates, scientists, and other outreach professionals to share their expertise and inspiration with park visitors, with a primary focus on night skies, astronomy, and natural darkness.

Residencies are offered in three or four-week intervals between April 1-May 23, August 1-September 2, and November 28-December 23. A minimum of three weeks is required, with a maximum of four weeks on-site at Grand Canyon National Park. The base stipend is $1,250 for the first three weeks, plus $250 for an additional week if chosen. Residents are selected based on artistic merit, track record of accomplishments, quality of work samples, how the work plan is inspired by Grand Canyon night skies, and how the program fosters appreciation of dark night sky values and awareness of light pollution threats.

Applicants may propose projects including telescope viewing and public talks, astrophotography for park media, constellation presentations, conceptual art installations, musical compositions, scientific writing, or other creative proposals related to night skies. All residents must provide public programs or workshops during their stay. The application fee is $30.00. Work samples may include up to 10 images, 3 audio files, and 3 video files (maximum 10 total samples). Applicants must also submit a PDF worklist with title, year, medium, and size/length for each work sample.