OXFORD,
Miss. – Astronomy and art intersect in two stellar exhibits at the
University of Mississippi to celebrate the International Year of
Astronomy. The year commemorates the 400th anniversary of Galileo
Galilei’s use of a telescope to study the skies and Johannes Kepler’s
publication of Astronomia nova.
“The Artist’s Universe,” on
display at the University Museum through May 3, comprises 31 paintings
of real and imaginary scenes from outer space; “The World at Night” or
TWAN, to be shown at the J.D. Williams Library Tuesday (March 31)
through April 30, features 30 photographs of beautiful and historic
sites against a nighttime backdrop of stars, planets and celestial
events.
“It is wonderful to have these exhibitions showing how
art and science can be blended together,” said Marco Cavaglia,
assistant professor of physics and astronomy and coordinator of the
exhibits. “Many scientists of the past were also artists and vice
versa.”
A public presentation related to TWAN is scheduled for 4 p.m. Tuesday in the Tupelo Room of Barnard Observatory. It features guest speaker Wally Pacholka, who is a TWAN photographer and member of Astronomers Without Borders.
“The Artist’s Universe” is on loan from the International Association of Astronomical Artists based on Montreal. Its exhibit on campus is a collaborative project of the Museum and the Department of Physics and Astronomy.
“The images these artists have created range from pure fantasy to reality,” said Albert Sperath, museum director. “It’s a great show that gives these artists a chance to utilize their full creative potential to imagine our universe. One of my favorites shows a colony on the moon with vehicles, people in space suits and the Earth as a ‘moon’ on the horizon.”
TWAN is a volunteer effort operating under Astronomers Without Borders, a U.S. not-for-profit corporation. The exhibit is scheduled to be displayed on six continents during March and April, with the university being the first North American host.
The spirit of the project is perhaps best expressed in the words of TWAN photographers and published on the TWAN Web site: “The eternally peaceful sky looks the same above all the landmarks and symbols of different nations and regions, attesting to the truly unified nature of Earth as a planet rather than an amalgam of human-designated territories.”
The TWAN exhibit, displayed in The Commons area on the library’s first floor, is open to the public during regular library hours: 1 p.m.-2 a.m Sunday, 7 a.m.- 2a.m. Monday through Thursday, 7 a.m.-7 p.m. Friday and 10 a.m.- 6 p.m. Saturday. For more information, contact Melissa Dennis, outreach librarian, at 662-915-7934 or mdennis@olemiss.edu.
“The Artist’s Universe” exhibit at University Museum, Fifth Street and University Avenue, is open to the public during regular museum hours: 9 a.m.-4:30 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday and 1-4:30 p.m. Sunday. For more information, visit http://www.olemiss.ed/museum or call 662-915-7073.
For assistance related to a disability, call 662-915-7642.