Art in Parks

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Park leaders show podcast ep 342 Arden von Haeger

“The best park art helps you feel like you’re standing there.”

Art has a unique ability to help us see familiar places in a new way. Arden Von Haeger’s work has a way of capturing the emotional connection people feel when they experience a national park. He is a professional illustrator, retired university professor, and lifelong outdoorsman.

Arden’s path to this work seems like a natural blend of two lifelong passions. He grew up in rural Pennsylvania, where hiking, fishing, and time outdoors shaped his appreciation for nature. His artistic talent was recognized early on, leading him to art school. Today, those two passions come together in his award-winning national park artwork for Anderson Design Group.

Arden is not simply painting landscapes. He is telling stories through his art by approaching each painting as a storyteller. He studies the landscape, wildlife, lighting, and iconic features of a park, then makes deliberate choices about composition, color, and perspective. Every tree, animal, and cloud is placed with purpose to guide your eye and evoke a specific feeling. His illustration of Zion National Park is immediately recognizable to me. Looking at it has a way of making me feel like I am back there.

Art has an incredible way of connecting with people’s emotions. Arden understands that it can create an emotional response that helps people connect more deeply with a place. That connection matters in conservation.

When people feel something, they care. And when they care, they are more likely to support conservation and stewardship. Parks can use art as a tool for engagement through workshops, artist talks, and residencies. Inviting artists into parks creates new ways for visitors to experience and appreciate the landscapes around them.

Parks protect extraordinary places. Artists like Arden Von Haeger help people see why those places are worth protecting.