First Friday Art Walk begins six-week Celebration of the Night.
“Our dark skies are indeed part of the deeply valued natural wonders that have come to define Northern Arizona and the people who live here,” said Flagstaff Dark Skies Coalition member Chris Luginbuhl. “Inspiration from our dark skies shows up in art galleries and businesses and we are thrilled to be spotlighting our local creativity as well as stargazing on Heritage Square with volunteers from the Coconino Astronomical Society.”
Arizona Handmade Gallery, West of the Moon Gallery, Mountain Sports Flagstaff, Bright Side Bookshop, Phoenix Avenue Gallery, Art 35degrees North, The Hive Flagstaff, Human Nature Movement Arts Studio and Dark Sky Brewing Company are among the participating businesses and organizations opening their doors in celebration of dark skies.
“The Milky Way above the San Francisco Peaks, the stillness of a starlit forest, the moon highlighting rock formations, a campfire’s warmth within the darkness of a quiet night – these inspire artists to create and spark personal memories in their viewers,” said Stephanie Stinski of Arizona Handmade. “The dark starry skies are precious to all of us and we’re grateful for the Flagstaff Dark Skies Coalition’s efforts to keep them an inherent part of Northern Arizona.”
Jewelry maker Avari Copp of Reed and Rush is displaying her crescent moon earrings, starry rings and other innovative pieces at Mountain Sports. “Being a Flagstaff local, our dark skies have been a constant source of inspiration and comfort for me. I started stamping forest nightscapes into my work as a way to remind myself and my clients of the importance of preserving and protecting our sweet mountain home,” she said. “They also often serve as a way to carry the forest with us wherever we go and a gentle reminder of home.”
Meanwhile, a collaboration involving Phoenix Avenue Gallery, Art 35degrees North, The Hive Flagstaff and Human Nature Movement Arts Studio will offer a dark skies event featuring live mural painting, art exhibitions, music, dance, poetry and performance storytelling.
“We create in the dark space, filled with starlight and nebula incalculable, with miraculous synchronistic alignments surrounding us, as we spiral around the sun, spiraling around the center of our Milky Way’s unknown journey,” said Frederica Hall, artist and owner of Phoenix Avenue Gallery. “Starlight that travels light-years to reach Earth has evoked our minds to create dreams, musings and inquiry of observable reality, often represented in our art.”
The Coalitions’ Celebration of the Night spans six weeks, September through mid-October, beginning with First Friday Art Walk, Sept. 6. Other events include the “Artist Reception and Enviro Partner Night” at Mountain Sports with new t-shirts and sweatshirts to raise funds for dark skies, Thursday, Sept.12; virtual telescope viewing with Lowell Observatory, Wednesday, Sept. 25; the Flagstaff Star Party at Buffalo Park, Sept. 26-28, featuring stargazing with more than a dozen telescopes and astronomy presentations at NACET, in conjunction with the Flagstaff Festival of Science.
“This year’s season in science and creative expression is setting up to be the best yet,” said Luginbuhl. “Flagstaff’s crisp autumn skies are ideal for spectacular views of the universe and for allowing our imaginations to soar.” FBN
By Bonnie Stevens, FBN
For more information, visit Flagstaffdarkskies.org or FlagstaffStarParty.org.
Courtesy Photo: Telescope host Susan Marshall shares her binoculars with Lisa Foley during a downtown star party.
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