Image credit: Carla Olson | All at Once (detail, left side: original; right side: under amber lighting) | oil on linen panel, 12″ × 9″

NightVisions: AMBER is an international juried art exhibition that seeks to explore and celebrate our deep connections with the night. In its 9th iteration for 2026, this long-standing collaboration between Coconino Center for the Arts and the Flagstaff Dark Skies Coalition celebrates the 25th anniversary of Flagstaff’s designation as the world’s first International Dark Sky City. This special anniversary-year exhibition expands upon the established NightVisions: Cultural Interpretations of the Night Sky concept with a focused thematic exploration of amber lighting, aligning with the critical role that amber spectrum lighting plays in Flagstaff’s dark-sky conservation. To emphasize this concept, the exhibition features gallery lights that periodically transition between white and narrowband amber.

Renowned artist jurors Stan Honda (NYC, New York), Paula Jean Rice (Flagstaff, AZ), and Janet Yazzie (Flagstaff, AZ and Diné Nation) selected the works for this exhibition.

NightVisions Exhibition Programming

Indigenous Ties to Dark Skies: Arabic Poetry in the High Country

Thursday, July 9, 8 – 10pm
Location: Coconino Center for the Arts
Cost: FREE

Join cultural astronomer and Flagstaff Dark Skies Coalition Executive Director Dr. Danielle Adams for an evening exploring the rich heritage of Indigenous Arabian astronomy through poetry and storytelling. Presented in conjunction with the exhibition NightVisions: AMBER, this special evening program invites audiences to experience the transition from twilight to darkness while reflecting on humanity’s enduring relationship with the night.

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The Living Sky: Diné Constellations and Cultural Knowledge with Emerson John

Thursday, July 23, 6 – 8 PM
Location: Coconino Center for the Arts
Cost: FREE

Join Diné educator and cultural presenter Emerson John for an introduction to Diné understandings of the night sky. Through stories, teachings, and discussions of traditional constellations, John will explore how the stars serve as guides for knowledge, cultural identity, and relationships with the natural world.

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Capturing the Night: Astrophotography Basics and Insights with John Gartin

Thursday, July, August 6
Location: Coconino Center for the Arts
Cost: $40 for non-members, $30 for members

Learn approaches to Astrophotography in a combined classroom- and field-based workshop. This hands-on course will teach the basics of astrophotography in a two-part, one-evening session. Participants will learn how to use their own camera settings, the impact of different camera settings, foreground composition, site scouting, apps & online resources, different astrophotography approaches, and how to post-process photographs. Then participants will visit a local Flagstaff dark sky location to apply their learning, including photographing the core of the Milky Way Galaxy.

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Additional NightVisions programs & performances to be announced soon!