Astronomy Day passed without much fanfare on this cold and breezy spring day in Montreal - except for the Astronomy Day art event The Painted Universe, held by artist Bettina Forget in her downtown studio. For three days Bettina Forget opened the doors to her studio/gallery and invited the public to create a space-themed mural. Everyone was invited. Kids dug into the paints and created nebulas and other "abstract" pieces, professional artists created sophisticated space-scapes, and astronomy enthusiasts drew and painted their favourite celestial objects. A drawing of Charles Messier, a painting of a solar eclipse, a collage depicting a black hole, a comet,... piece by piece the wall filled with a mosaic of night sky images, creating a painted universe.
Besides exercising their creative side, participants could also retreat to the reading corner and leaf through astronomy books and magazines. On display were tips on how to observe the night sky with binoculars, information about the Royal Astronomical Society of Canada (RASC) and the International Association of Astronomical Artists (IAAA), as well as astronomical reference materials in both English and French.
While participants were painting there was much chatting about the Big Bang, life on other planets, the size of the universe, and the latest findings of the Mars rovers on the one hand, and discussions about contemporary art, European art galleries and art magazines on the other hand - illustrating the connection between art and science created by this event.
One thing all participants agreed upon: they are looking forward to next year's Painted Universe.
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This Astronomy Day art event was free of charge due to generous donations from BMac, Astronomy Magazine and Sky and Telescope Magazine.
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To read the press release for this event, click here.
