UW Planetarium Arts and Colectivo Arte GUENDA present
Constelaciones y Supernovas:
Paintings Inspired by the Sloan Digital Sky Survey
April 3rd - May 1st, 2026
Opening Reception Friday April 3rd, 5-9pm
Physics/Astronomy Auditorium, 3910 15th Ave NE, Seattle, WA 98105
UW Planetarium Arts is excited to partner with Colectivo Arte GUENDA, an intergenerational women's art collective based in Oaxaca, Mexico, to exhibit their collection of 22 paintings inspired by SDSS's fiber-optic plug plates. This artistic cross-cultural exchange highlights the longstanding international scientific collaborations between Mexico and the US: both UW and UNAM played key roles in the development of SDSS in the 1990s. Through a month-long exhibition and an opening night of artist-scientist talks and panels, we explore how artists engage with and disseminate scientific knowledge through visual expression and emphasize the importance of global collaboration.
OPENING RECEPTION (April 3rd)
Join us from 5-9pm on Friday, April 3rd for our opening night activities! Take a guided gallery tour, listen to lightning talks, and engage in a moderated panel discussion with visiting artists and scientists from Mexico and Seattle. RSVP here!
5pm-6pm: guided gallery tour (English and Spanish)
6pm-7pm: lightning talks (English)
7pm-8pm: moderated panel discussion (English)
8pm-9pm: guided gallery tour (English and Spanish)
Featured Artists
Ivonne Kennedy (Oaxaca, curator)
Maia Furchtenicht (Seattle)
Katy McFadden (Portland)
Peace Kat (Oaxaca)
Featured Scientists
José Franco (UNAM)
Sarah Tuttle (UW)
Arianna Long (UW)
José Sanchez-Gallego (UW)
GUIDED TOURS (Fridays)
Join us each Friday for guided gallery tours offered in both English and Spanish. RSVP here for tours on April 10th, April 17th, April 24th, and May 1st.
Organizing committee:
Ivonne Kennedy & Maia Furchtenicht (Colectivo GUENDA)
Ranger Liu & James Davenport (UW Planetarium Arts)
Nasa Sinnott-Armstrong (Fred Hutch Cancer Center, SxAFFOLD)
This exhibition is generously supported by an Open 4Culture grant, a smART Ventures grant from the City of Seattle’s Office of Arts & Culture, and the Friends of Astronomy fund of the UW Astronomy Department.