Free art workshop set Nov. 11 at Great Sand Dunes

SAND DUNES — San Luis Valley artist Lynette O’Kane will complete an Artist in Residence at Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve from November 1-15. Lynette will present a free mixed-media art workshop at the visitor center on Saturday, November 11 from 1-4 p.m. Space is limited to 12 participants; please call 719-378-6343 to sign up. Entrance to the park is free the weekend of November 11-12 for Veterans Day. 

The workshop will have multiple components with an emphasis on the decision-making process of creating a work of art. The demonstration will include a short outdoor excursion to illuminate this process in the field. Participants will be provided free materials to create original works based on their experience of the dunes and implementing the ideas and techniques given. The workshop will conclude with a discussion of the finished works.

Lynette O’Kane’s diverse work uses plasters, stucco and other mixed media to explore the idea of time, change and transformation of the natural environment. On the textured surface of the works one finds images, text, mapping and other images of the natural world. Her works are created in response to her sense of place and are intended to engage the viewer with new ways of perceiving the natural environment with an emphasis on integration, symbology and stewardship. View some of her works at www.lynetteokane.com.

Artists enhance visitor connections to the diverse resources of Great Sand Dunes, bringing multiple perspectives and creative visions to share with people from all over the world. Along with numerous other National Park Service sites, Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve hosts artists for residencies, workshops, and concerts each year. Learn more at www.nps.gov/grsa/getinvolved/artists-in-residence.htm and check our website for other upcoming workshops and concerts.