Starstruck: The Fine Art of Astrophotography, Opening Reception

The public is welcome.

Ken Crawford (United States), IC5067 Archival inkjet print, 16 x 20 inches

Starstruck: The Fine Art of Astrophotography will be among the first major exhibitions treating astrophotography as an art genre and, together with its attendant catalogue, will present new scholarship in this rapidly-evolving field. The exhibition, organized by the Museum’s Curator of Education, Anthony Shostak, features 106 images by thirty-five artists from around the world.  Nine artists are included by invitation: Michael Benson, Linda Connor, Robert Gendler, Sharon Harper, David Malin, Thomas Ruff, Hans-Christian Schink, Alfred Stieglitz, and Jacqueline Woods.  The remaining artists were selected through a juried format, and include five from Maine–James Cormier (Ellsworth), Jacob Gerritsen (Camden), Jim Nickelson (Camden), Kirk Rogers (Portland), and John Stetson (Falmouth). Starstruck presents the genre through a variety of subjects, from landscapes to deep sky objects, and includes historically significant photographs such as the first successful image of the solar analemma.  Four of the prints feature Penobscot Bay and Acadia National Park, one of the first of America’s Dark Sky National Parks.