In the modern era, the national parks are important visual resources for artists. Interest in the National Park System has been encouraged in many ways, such as the annual competition, "Arts for the Parks."

Artists across the nation submit paintings of scenes inspired by the parks for a national exhibition and for awarded prizes.Coleman's beautiful representation of bears and geysers in Yellowstone was an award winner in the first "Arts for the Parks" competition in 1987.

Illustration: Michael Coleman, Passing Showers, c. 1987, gouache. Courtesy of Mr. and Mrs. William U. Weiss.