June 13, 2024 – August 31, 2024

Outer space, in its seeming limitlessness, has long proven to be a site of exploration, whether through the mechanisms of science or the inner workings of our imaginations. The artists in Celestial Bodies explore the relationship between the heavens and the earth through different perspectives and media.

Rusty Wallace’s small, shining gems are reminiscent of stars hovering up in the sky. Scott Silvey’s paintings depict the life cycles of plants and the often-unseen influence the moon and stars have in our daily lives. Casey McGuire and Mark Schoon’s collaborative project, The Great Moon Hoax, toys with scale to mimic images and landscapes found on the moon’s surface. Jordan Campbell’s digitally rendered cosmic spaces playfully combine very contemporary modes of representation within a picture plane of celestial fields. An interactive installation by Lauren Fancher faces the large second-floor window, overlooking an expansive vista of rolling hills. The large-scale paintings and photographs by Judy McWillie reflect her keen methods of observation, capturing accurate star formations. The ongoing, monumental work by Sergio Suarez, Precession, depicts a turbulent earthly scene in which there are fires and floods, while the vivid indigo cyanotypes of Michael Reese explore identity and history from the perspective of personal cosmology.

Planetarium Event

Additional programming in conjunction with Celestial Bodies took place at the Sandy Creek Nature Center’s Planetarium on the Summer Solstice on Thursday, June 20, 2024 at 6:00 pm and again at 7:00 pm. The planetarium program included live music by Lydian Brambila, an Athens-based artist and musician. Brambila utilizes a cello and digital sampler to create expansive and ethereal soundscapes. The audience was invited to sit back, gaze up at the stars, feel the audio vibrations, and travel to another space.