Meet the Artists: 2026 Artist-in-Residence
Every year, the South Carolina State Parks Service hosts the Artist-In-Residence program. This program provides artists with the opportunity to gain inspiration from the natural and cultural resources of the South Carolina State Parks. In return for a week-long stay at a state park cabin, each artist produces an original piece of artwork that is presented to the park. This competitive program attracts outstanding artists from all over the state and beyond. Out of 120 applicants, meet the 21 artists who were selected for the 2026 Artist-in-Residence program.
*The Artist-in-Residence program application is released in the fall of each year. Subscribe to our newsletter or follow our Facebook, Instagram, or X accounts for updates on when the 2027 application opens.
For more information about the program, visit our Artist-in-Residence page.
Linda Apriletti - Oconee State Park
Linda Apriletti is a full-time artist who has been painting professionally since 2012, following a career as a CPA and corporate tax manager. Born and raised in Miami Springs, Florida, she still lives there today, just a mile from her childhood home. Linda creates oil paintings with a focus on landscapes and finds her greatest inspiration working outdoors. Plein air painting is her favorite way to capture a place. She previously served as an Artist in Residence at Big Cypress National Preserve and looks forward to exploring and hiking Oconee State Park during her South Carolina residency. Outside the studio, Linda enjoys gardening, birdwatching, and spending time with her parakeet, Monet, whom she’s teaching to talk.
Facebook - Instagram - Website
Jami Childers - Poinsett State Park
Jami Childers is a dedicated artist with a passion for capturing the beauty of nature through acrylic and oil paintings. After more than 30 years as a successful cosmetologist and salon owner, Jami recently stepped down from her business to focus fully on her art career. Her journey as an artist has been supported by her loyal customers, and she now dedicates her time to creating vibrant pieces inspired by the natural world. Whether painting intricate portraits or exploring the rich colors of landscapes and wildlife, Jami’s work is a reflection of her deep connection to nature—both above and below the waterline.
Originally from sunny Southern California, Jami developed a love for the outdoors through camping, fishing, and hiking trips with her father. Now living in Florida, she finds inspiration in the state’s diverse wetlands and coastal beauty, while still taking every opportunity to visit the mountains she loves. Her artistic dedication led her to wake up at 4:30 AM every day to paint before work, building a body of work to showcase at art festivals. Jami’s talent has been recognized with numerous awards, including honors from The Jacksonville Watercolor Society, St. Augustine Art Society, and, most recently, a First Place award from The First Coast Cultural Center in Ponte Vedra, Florida.
Beyond art, Jami enjoys paddleboarding with her husband, particularly exploring Florida’s natural springs and encountering wildlife like manatees. Her love for the outdoors has inspired family trips to national parks, with a goal to visit at least one new park each year. Through her business, Jami Childers Art, she continues to share her artistic vision, capturing the world’s natural beauty one brushstroke at a time.
Instagram - Website - Portraits
Frank Clemmensen - Table Rock State Park
Frank Clemmensen is a retired college instructor, landscape contractor, and construction project manager who now focuses his time on photography. Based in Raleigh, North Carolina, Frank grew up in the suburbs of Philadelphia and holds degrees in Environmental Studies, Landscape Architecture, and Forestry. He considers himself a photographic artist, working primarily in wildlife photography while also exploring other subjects inspired by the wonders of nature and the challenge of seeking out compelling images. Frank’s work has been widely published, including a portfolio featured in LensWork magazine, as well as Wildlife in North Carolina and other trade publications. His photography has earned multiple awards, including Best in Show honors in juried competitions and Photographer of the Year recognition from the Capital City Camera Club for two consecutive years. Frank has visited Huntington Beach State Park many times for its rich wildlife opportunities and looks forward to exploring more of South Carolina’s park system during his residency at Table Rock State Park. Outside of photography, he enjoys traveling internationally with his wife, Shirley, and is active in the Raleigh Ski and Outing Club.
John Foehl Jr. - Barnwell State Park
John Foehl discovered his love for photography, particularly black & white images, some 50 years ago in college. After a hiatus involving raising a family and a professional career in finance, he retired and set about reimagining his life. Rekindling an affair with a camera seemed to be a perfect place to start.
“Landscape Photography is a Love Affair with Life” - attribution unknown
This phrase captures his feelings towards his second career behind a camera. His images are meant to capture the essence of the outdoors while allowing him to express his artistic side. This happens by distilling the photo into monochrome or by using long-exposure to convey the passage of time. His images tend towards the dark and moody side of the spectrum, which he believes to be the antithesis of his personality. We all relate differently to nature, so for some, his style might not resonate, but that’s the beauty of art.
Originally from Connecticut, he and his wife retired south and their newly adopted home of Summerville, SC. As he has honed his talent, he has been fortunate to have his work recognized by the National Park Service, the Spoleto Festival, and featured in juried shows across the country. When not editing his images, he can be found wandering, camera in hand, in many locales in the U.S. and abroad.
Jose Green - Santee State Park
Jose Green grew up in western North Carolina before moving to Charleston, South Carolina, where he worked for 10 years as a police officer. After a severe back injury, he had to medically retire from law enforcement.
When I had a severe back injury, I was forced to medically retire from law enforcement. The blessing came when I started painting a lot and realized how much I enjoy it. My life had to be redirected and I use reclaimed wood to paint.My business called “The Reclaimed Artist” spoke to both me as the artist and my artwork.
After their children were born, Jose and his wife moved to Greenville to be closer to his parents. Now he is a full time dad and artist! Jose attended the Art Institute of Atlanta. He does acrylic painting on reclaimed wood and wood cutouts with reclaimed wood. He is inspired most by nature, landscapes, and animals. Jose and his family enjoy visiting Hunting Island, Paris Mountain, and Table Rock state parks.
Facebook - Instagram - Website
Scott Henderson - Devils Fork State Park
Scott Henderson is a fine art photographer and neuroimaging researcher based in the Charleston area. A South Carolina native, Scott grew up in Columbia and has lived in the Mount Pleasant/Charleston region since attending The Citadel in 1990. He holds a bachelor’s degree in psychology and studied photography independently.
Working primarily in fine art photography, Scott focuses on architectural and landscape subjects. His work is rooted in slowing down and noticing the quiet, often overlooked details of a place. Photography serves as a pause, allowing him to isolate meaningful scenes and translate moments of clarity and connection into images that invite viewers to experience the same sense of wonder.
Scott has received numerous honors from fine art exhibitions, including honorable mentions, merit awards, and third-place finishes. In both 2024 and 2025, the Piccolo Spoleto Juried Art Exhibit, of which his work was a part, was named Best Art Exhibition in Charleston by readers of the Charleston City Paper.
Outside of photography, he enjoys cycling and mountain biking, disc golf, hiking, and camping. He has operated Scott Henderson Photography since 1999.
Facebook - Instagram - Website
Nancy Hershberger - Myrtle Beach State Park
Nancy Hershberger is a textile artist whose art quilts are designed as wall-hung works that resemble paintings rather than traditional bed quilts. Born and raised on a dairy farm in south central Pennsylvania, she later spent three decades in the Washington, D.C., area before returning to Pennsylvania for a quieter pace of life. Nancy studied music at Indiana University of Pennsylvania, and her artistic practice is deeply inspired by the natural environment, particularly the riparian zone, which provides an endless source of imagery and texture. Her work has been juried into galleries and national and international exhibitions, and has received significant recognition, including two Best of Show awards at the Southern Alleghenies Museum of Art (2023) and Yosemite Renaissance 40 (2025). In addition, her art quilts have been selected for display by U.S. embassies in Papua New Guinea (2024) and Panama (2025). Outside the studio, she enjoys spending time with her grandchildren, visiting national parks, and photographing nature from forest-floor details to sweeping mountain vistas.
Facebook - Instagram - Website
Ailyn Hoey - Cheraw State Park
Ailyn Hoey is a talented artist and dedicated school administrator who has spent her life immersed in creativity and exploration. Growing up in rural Vermont, Ailyn’s artistic journey began in childhood, drawing and painting with a natural curiosity that led her to experiment with various mediums. Though she has taken workshops with other artists, she is largely self-taught, allowing her artistic voice to develop organically over time.
In 2002, Ailyn discovered her passion for charcoal while working on a commissioned figurative piece in black and white. Since then, she has explored the expressive potential of this medium, creating striking landscape compositions that capture the solitude and beauty of remote, rugged terrains. From the windswept shores of Cape Cod to the wild landscapes of Texas, Florida, and Vermont, her work reflects a deep connection to nature.
Throughout her career, Ailyn has been recognized with numerous awards and prestigious artist residencies, including opportunities at Everglades National Park, Cape Cod National Seashore, and The Johnson Studio Center. An award-winning artist, she has received the Award of Excellence at Art & Ambiance in Vermont and Best in Show at the Beaux Arts Festival in Coral Gables, Florida, among others.
When she’s not creating art, Ailyn loves spending time outdoors with her husband and 13-year-old son, hiking, camping, and canoeing. She also enjoys cooking, especially international cuisine.
Through her business, Ailyn Hoey Charcoals, established in 2002, Ailyn continues to share her passion for charcoal landscapes with collectors and art enthusiasts alike. Though she’s not yet an Ultimate Outsider, she looks forward to exploring more of South Carolina’s parks and discovering new inspiration along the way.
Shannon Kelly - Barnwell State Park
Shannon Kelly is a full-time artist based in Atlanta, Georgia, where she creates commissioned work, sells at fairs and boutiques, and teaches at art studios throughout the city. A former special education and math teacher, as well as a Coordinator of Service-Learning at Meredith College, Shannon brings a deep sense of curiosity and storytelling to her creative practice.
Working primarily in watercolor, Shannon is the artist behind DaisyLions Studio, which she founded in 2019. While she began with commissioned portraits, her work evolved during the pandemic to focus on birds—more than 60 species to date—and, more recently, large-scale urban landscapes of Atlanta. These paintings often feature the birds that live in or migrate through the city, highlighting the relationship between wildlife and the built environment.
Shannon draws inspiration from the complexity of urban spaces, exploring the tension between development, people, and animals. Her work has been recognized with several honors, including being named a 2024 Emerging Artist by Atlanta’s Office of Cultural Affairs, an honorable mention at the 2025 Booth Art Museum Annual Booth Art Guild Exhibition, and an honorary mention in the 2025 Downtown Gallery Spring/Summer Show.
An avid camper and hiker, Shannon is excited for her residency at Barnwell State Park, especially given the park’s history with the Civilian Conservation Corps. Outside of art, she enjoys cooking and baking, particularly experimenting with new recipes.
Lindsey Maldonado - Calhoun Falls State Park
Lindsey Maldonado is a talented visual artist and graphic designer based in Goose Creek, SC. Originally from the small town of Kinderhook, IL, she moved to the Lowcountry in 2012 and now shares her home with her husband, Patrick, and their two beloved dogs, Cira and Echo.
Lindsey’s passion for art led her to earn a Bachelor’s Degree in Graphic Arts and study fine arts abroad in Florence, Italy. Her work spans multiple mediums, including soft pastels, watercolors, acrylics, and pottery, with a special love for the unique textures and depth soft pastels bring to her pieces.For Lindsey, art is an emotional journey. Calm moments inspire serene landscapes and soft colors, while more challenging times often lead to darker, moodier creations. She doesn’t force inspiration, allowing it to arise naturally from her experiences and feelings.
Beyond her art, Lindsey enjoys rock climbing, working in her garden, and exploring South Carolina’s state parks. As she works toward becoming an Ultimate Outsider, she cherishes hikes at Table Rock and Paris Mountain, as well as summer relaxation with friends at Givhans Ferry.
In 2020, Lindsey launched her own business, Lindsey Nicole Design Studio, where she continues to share her creativity with the world. Her art and design work are a testament to her passion, skill, and connection to her craft.
Shaina Manuel - Colleton State Park
Shaina Manuel is a Columbia-based artist and academic advisor at the University of South Carolina (UofSC), where she supports undergraduate students in the College of Information and Communication. Originally from Northern Virginia, Shaina moved to South Carolina at 18 to attend UofSC.
Her work centers on bold realism, with a strong foundation in pencil and colored pencil. In recent years, she has expanded her practice into digital art, creating detailed and expressive pieces using Procreate on an iPad. Shaina draws inspiration from intensity in all its forms—emotion, survival, social justice, and both quiet and powerful moments that define the lived experience.
Shaina has received multiple recognitions for her work, including Best in Show (2-D) and Third Place in Drawing in the Professional Division at the South Carolina State Fair, as well as a 2024 Rising Star feature in Voyager Magazine. She is the owner of Shaina’s Art, LLC.
During her residency, Shaina looks forward to immersing herself in the landscape and exploring new sources of inspiration. Outside the studio, she enjoys running and considers self-improvement an ongoing personal and creative pursuit.
C. Renee Martin - Devils Fork State Park
Renee is a full-time Clinical Laboratory Scientist and passionate nature photographer. A native of the Appalachian Mountains in Kentucky, she now lives in Fredericksburg, Virginia, where she balances her detail-oriented career with capturing the beauty of the outdoors.
Renee specializes in digital photography, focusing on landscapes, waterfalls, coastlines, and night skies. She often uses long-exposure techniques to convey movement and calm, translating the quiet and powerful moments in nature into images that evoke emotion and presence. Her work has earned numerous awards, including Best in Show at the Fredericksburg Photography Show, juried exhibition recognition at the Fredericksburg Center for the Creative Arts, and finalist honors in Outdoor Photographer Magazine’s Nature’s Colors Competition.
During her 2026 residency at Devils Fork, Renee looks forward to exploring new landscapes and capturing their unique beauty. When she’s not behind the camera, Renee enjoys hiking, stargazing, board games with family and friends, and planning her next photography adventures.
Instagram - Facebook - Website
Bradley Molnar - Dreher Isand State Park
Brad is an IT consultant and digital photographer based in Fort Mill, SC. Originally from the Philadelphia suburbs, he draws inspiration from nature and breathtaking sunrises, capturing landscapes and outdoor scenes through his lens with an eye for light, color, and detail.
Brad is excited to explore Dreher Island during his 2026 residency and is looking forward to discovering new perspectives in the park’s natural beauty. Outside of photography, he enjoys skiing and scuba diving, always seeking new ways to experience and connect with the outdoors.
Website - Print Store - Instagram - Facebook
Jeanne O'Neal - Givhans Ferry State Park
Jeanne Moore O’Neal is a full-time artist based in Pawleys Island, South Carolina. After a career teaching elementary school and elementary art education, she now focuses on creating oil landscape paintings inspired by the Lowcountry. Having grown up across the United States as part of a Navy family, Jeanne eventually found her artistic home along the coast, where the birds, marshes, water, and Spanish moss continually influence her work. She is especially drawn to studying the shifting colors, light, and shadows of the landscape, which shape her creative process each day. Jeanne holds a bachelor’s degree in Early Childhood Education from Clemson University and is the owner of Jeanne O’Neal Fine Art, established in 2023. Her work has been recognized with First Place at Art Fest Mount Pleasant in 2023, and she was selected as the 36th Artist of the Year for the Wooden Boat Show in Georgetown, South Carolina. When she’s not painting, Jeanne enjoys traveling with fellow artists and spending time with family and friends.
Facebook - Instagram - Website
Katrina Piercy - Givhans Ferry State Park
Trina is a full-time potter based in Greenville, South Carolina. Originally from Brisbane, Australia, Trina brings a global perspective to her work, blending her background in graphic design with her current practice in porcelain ceramics.
Working primarily with clay, Trina creates hand-drawn designs on porcelain pieces that reflect themes of life, loss, pain, and joy. Her work is deeply personal, shaped by lived experiences and a desire to connect through storytelling and emotion. She founded Meraki Pottery in 2019, where she continues to grow her creative practice.
Trina is the mother of two young children and enjoys exploring new foods, visiting coffee shops with her family, and spending quiet moments drawing and meeting new people. During her residency at Givhans Ferry State Park, she looks forward to spending time in South Carolina’s natural landscapes—many of which she is still discovering.
Facebook - Instagram - Website
Becky Hyatt Rickenbaker - Poinsett State Park
Becky Hyatt Rickenbaker is a Summerville, South Carolina, native and retired creative director and graphic artist who now paints full-time. After graduating from the Art Institute of Atlanta, Becky lived and worked in Atlanta before spending more than three decades in Lexington County, South Carolina. She later relocated to Tryon, North Carolina, where she painted, taught lessons, and became deeply involved in a vibrant, arts-driven community. In 2025, Becky and her husband moved to Conway, South Carolina, where she now works from her home studio.
Becky creates realistic, representational paintings in acrylic on canvas, focusing on wildlife, nature, landscapes, people, and pets. Her work is inspired by organic beauty, light, emotion, and the quiet moments of daily life, as well as tributes to those who came before us. Over the years, her art has received numerous honors, including the South Carolina Wildlife Federation’s Print of the Year (1992), multiple merit awards at the South Carolina State Fair, and a Patron’s Purchase Award in 2013. Her illustrations and designs have appeared on the Lexington Veterans Memorial Monument, Newberry College’s wolf mascot, and in State of the Heart: South Carolina Writers on the Places They Love, Volume 2 (University of South Carolina Press).
A lifelong explorer of South Carolina’s state parks, she looks forward to visiting Poinsett State Park for the first time during her residency. Outside the studio, she enjoys hiking, birding, and biking, and her work is currently represented by 80SIX Gallery in Tryon, North Carolina, and Art Harbor Gallery in Georgetown, South Carolina.
Jeff Ripple - Oconee State Park
Jeff Ripple is a Florida-based landscape artist who has been working professionally since 1994. He grew up in Fort Lauderdale and now lives in Micanopy, near Gainesville, where his surroundings continue to influence his work. Primarily painting landscapes in oil, Jeff is inspired by light and atmosphere and the way they shape texture, form, and mood within a scene. He holds a bachelor’s degree in English and is self-trained as an artist. In addition to painting, Jeff is also a natural history author with ten published books, a kayak guide, and a large-format photographer. He is looking forward to visiting Oconee State Park, where he hopes to explore the waterfalls and take in the views from the Tamassee Knob Trail, and he enjoys fishing, hiking, and wildlife and bird watching in his free time.
Steve Rubin - Dreher Island State Park
Steve Rubin is a retired certified project manager who spent his career at IBM before turning his focus fully to photography. Originally from the Washington, D.C., area and later raised in Rye, New York, Steve has lived in North Carolina since the early 1980s and is now based in Cary. He works primarily as a nature photographer, creating wildlife and landscape images that are presented as standard prints, metal, and stretched canvas. While he enjoys landscapes, his true passion lies in wildlife photography, where he seeks to capture compelling behavior, whether it’s an eagle coming in for a landing or an osprey feeding on its latest catch. His work has been published in the Carolina Nature Photographers Association magazine. While he travels primarily in North Carolina, Steve enjoys visiting Huntington Beach State Park, especially at sunrise.
Lindsey Spears - Table Rock State Park
Lindsey Spears is a full-time artist who previously worked in education at the Jacksonville Zoo and has spent the past five years building a creative career. She grew up in Jacksonville, Florida, and now lives in Bluffton, South Carolina, with her two sons. With a background in zoology and no formal art training, Lindsey brings a unique perspective to her work, specializing in murals and live event painting, with a growing focus on digital art. Inspired by bold color and the natural world, she often combines vibrant palettes with wildlife and plant life to create energetic, immersive pieces. She designed the Bluffton Breeze city bus wrap, which earned first place in a national design competition. An avid hiker and reader, Lindsey looks forward to exploring more parks with her family.
Cristin Fedina Wood - Santee State Park
Cristin is a marriage and family therapist working in private practice and a painter inspired by the natural beauty of the Upstate of South Carolina, where she grew up and continues to live near the border of western North Carolina. With an educational background in psychology, art therapy, and marriage and family therapy from Converse College in Spartanburg, Cristin’s creative work is deeply informed by observation, patience, and connection.
Working primarily in watercolor and oil, with occasional mixed media elements like colored pencil and art crayon, Cristin is especially drawn to the quieter details of the landscape. Her art often focuses on micro flora and fauna that you have to be patient to see, and highlighting the rich biodiversity of the Blue Ridge region.
While she’s not yet an Ultimate Outsider, Jones Gap State Park and the Mountain Bridge Wilderness remain favorites for their water, wildflowers, and salamanders. Outside of creating art, Cristin enjoys hiking and traveling to visit art museums.