Astrophotography brings 'awe and wonder' to The Groove Artspace

Generations of painters have been drawn to New Mexico for the unique qualities of our light, but the darkness here is equally exquisite.

“We have less light pollution here than a lot of other places,” said Sarah McIntyre, who organized the exhibition, “Eyes in the Dark,” at The Groove Artspace. The juried exhibition, which runs through May 30, features nearly 70 images of the night sky by 29 astrophotographers.

“And we are very fortunate in the winter to most of the time have very clear skies. Winter is the best part of the year to do nighttime photography anyway, because we have a lot of hours of darkness,” McIntyre said.

New Mexico’s unique combination of dark skies and minimal cloud cover make it an astrophotographer’s paradise.

The Groove Artspace is a community art center, which, in addition to exhibiting local artists, offers art classes and low-cost studio spaces. Community building is a big part of The Groove’s mission, and “Eyes in the Dark” successfully brought together a community of astrophotographers, who, for the most part, had been unaware of each other’s existence. While a few of them had met previously through local stargazing clubs, most had been quietly pursuing their work in solitude.