The Adirondack Sky Center kicked off a month-long astrophotography exhibit at the Tupper Arts Center with an opening night wine and cheese party. The exhibit is called "Cosmic Images of the Wilderness Above - Astrophotography from the Adirondack Sky Center", and consists of photos taken by those attending our annual Astrophotography Workshop. The Arts Center is located at 114 Park Street in Tupper Lake. The show will be on display through the end of February, open M-W 3-6pm; Saturday 12-3pm. Additional details can be found on our Events page.
The following remarks were made by Adirondack Sky Center Vice President Seth McGowan at the opening of the exhibit:
"Good evening, and welcome to the first joint venture between Tupper Arts and the Adirondack Sky Center and Observatory. Thank you for coming to this first of a kind event.
I’d like to thank Louise McNalley for her enthusiasm in producing this event. We are proud to partner with her and the team of Tupper Arts, including Ed Donnelly who hung the works and created the wonderful display for tonight. From the Adirondack Sky Center and Observatory, our President Carol Levy who is currently exploring the skies of Florida. Kara Page and Mary Beth for their work in organizing and arranging all of the many details for tonight. It takes a whole universe to raise an art exhibit. Finally, the artists tonight (including myself) thanks to Gordie Duval, Tim Connolly, and George Normandin for allowing us to use their art for this exhibit. Normally, we simply share our work on social media, or a quick pic from our cell phones. It is rare that it gets printed, and even more rare for it to be displayed.
Most of you here tonight know the goal of the Adirondack Sky Center and Observatory is to build out the next phase in our plan – the Astro Science Center. There, people of all ages and interests will be able to explore the science behind our Solar System, Galaxy, and Universe. With a lecture hall, planetarium, exhibit hall, classroom, Foucault Pendulum, there will be no end to the opportunities we can provide.
Tonight’s reception kicks off a different side of astronomy. The art of astronomy. Cosmic Images of the Wilderness Above: Astrophotography from the Adirondack Sky Center
We often talk about nature in the Adirondacks. The epicenter of wildlife and nature in the wilderness. But our nature here in Tupper Lake in the Adirondacks, in NY State, in North America on this planet Earth is only a subset of a much larger natural park. The Universe. And while this natural park is normally associated with math, and chemistry, and physics, it is wildly beautiful as well.
Our goal in being here tonight is to celebrate the beauty of the wilderness above. Not as objects to be studied for knowledge sake, but admired for the aesthetic beauty it naturally embodies.
What’s ironic about the art behind these images is that no two are alike. I don’t mean the objects (which are all unique themselves.) I mean the images. Every astrophotographer has imaged the Andromeda Galaxy. But just as a portrait of a person painted by a different artist would be different, every astrophotographer’s image of Andromeda is unique to them as well. That is the artistry behind astrophotography. And that is what transforms into art.
Please take some time to talk to the artists tonight about their process. Like the final images themselves, no to processes are the same. I’m sure they will love to talk to you about their inspiration. After all what better muse than the Universe.
Enjoy."
