After weeks of reviewing the varied and remarkable talent of Idaho’s interested artists, ICL has officially determined a 2024 Artist in Residence. This year, we will be welcoming Taelyn Baiza to join us in exploring the nexus of conservation and art! 
Taelyn Baiza is a 2024 graduate of Boise High School with a special interest in nature and wildlife illustration. She started creating drawings focusing on biodiversity and the importance of healthy ecosystems during the pandemic and has since gone on to sell her art as cards, puzzles, and prints at regional stores and artisan fairs. She enjoys working with a variety of mediums, including colored pencil, pen and ink, woodburning, markers, and oil paint. Taelyn’s art has been featured in the Fifth National Climate Assessment (NCA5) publication, by the US Fish and Wildlife Service, the Advocates for the West environmental law firm, and in the Honor: People and Salmon juried art exhibit. Taelyn continues working on new creative projects and hopes her nature artwork helps to remind us of the importance and beauty of our natural world.
During the residency year, which begins and concludes annually in May, Taelyn will complete a body of work to be exhibited at ICL’s 2025 Wild Idaho! conference. Her work will also appear in ICL’s digital and print communications. The aim of ICL’s Artist in Residence Program is to foster wider public awareness of the work of both ICL and the artist through a creative and engaging partnership.
From 2013 to 2020, ICL invited one artist annually to join in celebrating Idaho’s natural beauty—and the advocacy that’s done to protect it—through ICL’s Artist in Residence program. Combining forces with multiple talented artists over the years to explore the nexus of art and nature, this program has been enjoyed by conservation and fine art enthusiasts alike.
As the program returns in 2024, ICL hopes to bring re-invigorate the excitement of previous years, while at the same time bringing a fresh and vibrant new energy with the newest iteration of the program. We expect that Taelyn will be just the right person for the job!
To explore Taelyn’s previous work, visit her instagram page: @taelynbaizaart, and stay tuned for more from Taelyn with ICL!