Arts@theObservatory

“No great creative work, whether in engineering or in art, in literature or in science, has ever been the work of a [person] devoid of the imaginative faculty.” – George Ellery Hale

Arts@theObservatory invites audiences to experience the universe through art—featuring exhibitions and immersive programs that connect creativity, science, and place at Mount Wilson Observatory, in the spirit of founder and polymath George Ellery Hale.

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Upcoming Exhibitions

Arts@theObservatory: Russell Crotty – Nocturnal Landscapes From The Arid West

June 27, 2026 – October 17, 2026

An exhibition of drawings by California artist Russell Crotty, whose intricate works explore the relationship between scientific observation, landscape, and the night sky, presented in the historic 100-inch telescope dome at Mount Wilson Observatory.

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Ongoing Exhibitions

Sunstar

Mounted just below the dome that caps the 150-foot Solar Telescope Tower, Sunstar is an array of prisms that reflect sunlight. It beams an intense burst of color to locations around the Los Angeles basin – shining like a brilliant jewel from the ridgeline of Mount Wilson.

On loan to Mount Wilson Observatory, Sunstar is an art installation by artist Liliane Lijn, astrophysicist John Vallerga, and programmer Patrick Jelinsky.

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PAST EXHIBITIONS

Arts@theObservatory: Within Sound 2 – The Acoustic Sculpture of Michael Brewster

August 29, 2026 – August 30, 2026

The works of pioneering sound and space artist Michael Brewster. Six pieces trace the evolution of acoustic sculpture over four decades. in the 100-inch telescope […]

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Cosmic Art Night: TERRA COSMICA – Oct 12, 2024

October 12, 2025 – October 13, 2025

Encounter the cosmos in a whole new way with this enhanced observing opportunity – a unique Art + Observing Night in the historic 100-inch telescope dome.

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Arts@theObservatory: TERRA COSMICA

September 13, 2025 – October 26, 2025

A mesmerizing, looping 43-minute video and musical score, projected onto a 300-inch circular screen inside Mount Wilson Observatory’s 100-inch Telescope dome. A work by Rebeca Méndez and Stephen Nowlin.

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Arts@theObservatory: James Griffith | SMALL PAINTINGS OF INFINITY

July 13, 2025 – October 26, 2025

An exhibition of work by James Griffith evoking the poetic that all life and evolution of the cosmos are intertwined. Installed in the historic 100-inch telescope dome at Mount Wilson Observatory.

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Cosmic Art Night: "Of Sea and Sky" – Oct 13, 2024

October 13, 2024 – October 14, 2024

Enjoy an evening meeting artists Rebeca Méndez and Stephen Nowlin and learn about their work that examines the human-to-nature relationship as mediated through science, followed by an evening of observing through the famous 100-inch telescope to experience the art the cosmos creates.

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Arts @ the Observatory: OF SEA AND SKY

July 20, 2024 – October 20, 2024

Closing party event: Sunday November 10, 2024 | 1-3PM Of Sea and Sky is a two-person exhibition of work examining human-to-nature relationships by artists Rebeca […]

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Arts @ the Observatory: SARAH ROSALENA: STANDARD CANDLE

May 6, 2023 – June 30, 2023

Staged in the observatory’s 100-inch Hooker telescope, the exhibition uses instrumentation and darkness as a lens for examining women’s labor and colonialism, and their role […]

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Within Sound: The Acoustic Sculptures of Michael Brewster

August 13, 2022 – August 14, 2022

Immerse yourself in the distilled auditory experience of “Within Sound: The Acoustic Sculptures of Michael Brewster,” by the late Southern California-based artist. Brewster designed and […]

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