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DENALI Artists Respond to Music Inspired by Wilderness was conceived at the confluence of two languages—music and visual art. Elements Artist Group, six artists anchored in Alaska, created eighteen pieces of art in collaboration with nine composers from Composing in the Wilderness 2017. Each piece of art is a personal response to a musical composition. The idea for the project was sparked in 2015 by a painting Elements artist Mary Bee Kaufman rendered while listening to music written by Christina Rusnak. Their successful collaboration resonated with fellow Elements artists who were eager to explore a new challenge—making art in response to music inspired by a place they love, Denali National Park. Stephen Lias, Composing in the Wilderness Director, shared the proposal with his musicians and they enthusiastically said, “Yes!” The generous support of a Community Arts Development Grant from the Alaska State Council on the Arts helped fund the project.

Composers shared their music, scores, ideas, and information about specific locations that kindled their inspiration. Elements artists have all experienced the transformative potency of living, working, traveling, or being an Artist in Residence in Denali Park. They have personal knowledge of its unique landscape, flora and fauna, weather and soundscapes. Their connections to this rare wilderness, along with knowledge of specific places influenced their responses—the colors, textures, shapes, and images they chose.