Mackinac Island names nine artists for 2026 residency

Mackinac State Historic Parks selected nine artists for its eighth annual Artist-in-Residence program, with two-week residencies running from early June through early October 2026. Each artist will give one public presentation during their stay and donate a completed work to the parks within 12 months.

Mackinac State Historic Parks has chosen nine artists for the eighth annual Artist-in-Residence program on Mackinac Island for the 2026 season. The residencies are two weeks long and run from early June through early October. Participants will live and work in the remodeled second floor of the Mackinac Island State Park Visitor's Center, a building that originally served as a 1915 Coast Guard Station. The program is designed to encourage work inspired by the island's natural beauty and history. Key details: - Nine artists were selected from a pool of 41 applicants by a jury made up of representatives from Mackinac State Historic Parks and the Mackinac Island Community Foundation, with decisions based on artistic merit and the ability to reflect the island's history and landscape. - Residents will live and work in the Visitor's Center space that was remodeled for the program and originally housed a 1915 Coast Guard Station. - Each residency lasts two weeks and includes one public presentation, such as a workshop, lecture, or reading, scheduled for 7 p.m. on the second Wednesday of the residency period. - Artists are required to donate one completed work to Mackinac State Historic Parks within 12 months of their residency. - The 2026 lineup begins June 2 with photographer Miles Clark, followed by quilter Kate Veldman, mixed-media artist Lucy Goebel, poet LeConte Dill, painters Dylan Valade and Emily Sabree, mosaic artist Yolanda Gonzalez, poet Lily Tobias, and concludes with photographer Rebekah Burgess on Sept. 30. - The program receives support from Mackinac Associates; Mackinac State Historic Parks operates within the Michigan Department of Natural Resources and manages sites including Fort Mackinac, the Biddle House, and Colonial Michilimackinac. Summary: The residency program continues to connect artists with Mackinac Island's landscape and history through in-person stays and public presentations. The 2026 season begins June 2, with scheduled 7 p.m. presentations during each two-week residency and the final workshop on Sept. 30.