Chrissy Noel Kinslow is a Moab-based community artist whose practice focuses on creating accessible spaces for reflection and creative expression. According to a Canyonlands Natural History Association document, her work weaves together art, nature connection, and shared experience, with a practice rooted in the landscapes of the Colorado Plateau. As the 2026 Community Artist in the Parks, Kinslow is scheduled to create original work within the parks for a minimum of 24 hours per month from April through October, according to a Canyonlands Natural History Association news release.
Kinslow's role as the 2026 Community Artist involves sharing her inspiration and creative process with visitors. An undated Canyonlands Natural History Association document notes that her work will be sold in Canyonlands Natural History Association stores and online during her tenure. Her artistic practice centers on listening deeply and using guided art experiences, storytelling, and land-based practices to invite participants to reconnect with themselves, each other, and the natural world, according to that same undated source.
In her capacity as the 2026 Community Artist in the Parks, Kinslow has participated in various locations. A July 20, 2026, publication from Utah's Canyon Country notes that she was scheduled to perform art at various locations and times, including Hovenweep National Monument. Specific sessions listed for June included Square Tower Ruin on June 12, Aztec Butte on July 8, and Murphy Point Trail on July 15, according to the Canyonlands Natural History Association. The program, which began in 2009, aims to highlight the connection between local artists and the landscapes of the National Park Service’s Southeast Utah Group, which includes Arches National Park, Canyonlands National Park, Hovenweep National Monument, and Natural Bridges National Monument, according to the Canyonlands Natural History Association.
Kinslow's artistic output includes various items such as the A-Z Stone & Sky Coloring Book, which is described as a canyon journey in rhyme featuring 36 hand-drawn doodles and alphabet poetry, according to a Canyonlands Natural History Association listing. Other items include a mini on-the-go watercolor kit and a Delicate Arch sticker titled "Where Stone Meets Sky," according to the same source. On October 29, 2026, Kinslow was scheduled to discuss her seven-month residency and the artwork she created inspired by the diverse landscapes of southeast Utah at a Canyonlands Natural History Association lecture, according to the association's MIC Lecture Series schedule.
Kinslow has expressed that being selected for the role feels like a deep honoring of her relationship with land, art, and community, according to a Canyonlands Natural History Association news release. She stated that she looks forward to creating spaces where people can slow down, listen, and connect by using creative practice as a bridge between human stories and the living landscapes that hold them, according to that same undated source.
What this means for Moab
For Moab residents, Kinslow's role provides a way to engage with the local landscape through art. By participating in her guided experiences or purchasing her work from the Canyonlands Natural History Association, locals and visitors can connect with the natural world through the lens of a local artist's creative practice and storytelling.
