Mary Arnold is a conservation artist living and working where high desert meets the mountains. Fascinated with wildlife, geology and heritage, her goal is to explore humanity's connection to nature and carry a message of balanced land and animal conservation through her art. As a land and wildlife advocate and an Idaho Master Naturalist, she embraces all that she finds precious in nature and endeavors to explore and learn more every day.
The projects that she engages with explore the nexus of ecology and human values and seek to understand the emotion, beliefs and philosophies that prompt us to protect our environment and wildlife, and to preserve biodiversity in nature. Serving many artist residencies in support of national parks and land trusts, she furthers her understanding of this topic. Some major residencies that Arnold has served include Bighorn Canyon NRA, Land Trust of the Treasure Valley, Centennial AiR for Craters of the Moon, Payette Land Trust, and most recently, Bears Ears National Monument. She is the 2026 Artist in Residence for the Sagebrush Steppe Land Trust. She finds continued inspiration in supporting these parks and trusts and exploring their lands.
Mary Arnold attended the University of Texas at Austin for undergraduate studies, and ASU Thunderbird for her graduate degree. She is a proud member of Artists for Conservation, Women Artists of the West, American Women Artists, and Cowgirl Artists of America. She serves on the board of the MK Nature Center, promoting nature education in her home state. Arnold also teaches the business of art through the MAP program for the Idaho Commission on the Arts, as well as hosting nature printing and nature journaling workshops.
