The Milky Way glimmers above a whimsical rock formation.

Making Art in the Dark

Valles Caldera National Preserve

Special Event
  • Sep 18, 2026 at 7:00 PM
  • Free

Join Valles Caldera Artist-in-Residence Paul Atkinson as he shares his approach to night sky landscape photography. Hear about his experiences making art under Valles Caldera National Preserve’s dark night skies, and learn about the growing threat of light pollution.

This talk focuses on Paul’s personal journey in night photography and growing awareness of the negative effects of light pollution. He will share not only his artistic approach and philosophy, but also personal stories and experiences, all with his own photographic examples to show participants. He will discuss the park-specific challenges he faced and how that shapes his art. He will illustrate light pollution’s impact on his art and outline its harmful effects on the environment, wildlife, and our own health. He will close with simple steps participants can put into action at home to minimize their own light pollution footprint.

Fees

This event is free to attend.

Location

This presentation takes place at the Pajarito Environmental Education Center Planetarium in Los Alamos, NM.

Latitude and Longitude 35.885060, -106.305814

Schedule

Date:

Sep 18, 2026

Time:

7:00 PM

Duration:

1 hour

Contact Information

Lauren Ray

Contact Us

Event Type

  • Exhibition/Show
  • Partner Program
  • Talk
Tags: night sky, dark sky, milky way, astronomy, astrophotography, artist in residence, valles caldera