NightVisions: AMBER

NightVisions: AMBER is an international juried art exhibition exploring and celebrating connections with the night. In its 9th iteration for 2026, this 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. The exhibition features a focused thematic exploration of amber lighting, aligning with the critical role that amber spectrum lighting plays in Flagstaff's dark-sky conservation. Flagstaff received its International Dark Sky City designation on October 24, 2001, recognizing the community's extraordinary commitment to night-sky protection, which began with the world's first ordinance protecting the night sky in 1958. In November 2025, Flagstaff was further recognized by DarkSky International with the Dark Sky Place of the Year Award for its continued leadership and innovative approaches to balancing development with night sky preservation.

Each iteration of NightVisions features a different thematic focus, new jurors, a fresh selection of participating artists, and evolved programming. The exhibition aligns with CCA's mission of presenting creative endeavors across art, science, and culture, and FDSC's vision of a world where everyone can see the Milky Way where they live. The gallery will feature amber lighting displays to share with visitors the visual effects of the narrowband amber lighting that Flagstaff requires for outdoor use to minimize light pollution and protect wildlife habitat.

Renowned artist jurors Stan Honda (NYC, New York), Paula Jean Rice (Flagstaff, AZ), and Janet Yazzie (Flagstaff, AZ and Diné Nation) select artwork from an international pool of submissions. $2,500 in jurors' awards will be announced at the opening reception. Artists may submit work in any medium, including but not limited to painting, drawing, photography, sculpture, video, multi-media, writing, and performance. Entry deadline is March 5, 2026 at 11:59 p.m. MST. Entry fee is $35.00 ($25.00 for CCA members). Work samples may include up to 3 images, 3 audio files, and 3 video files, with a minimum of 1 and maximum of 9 total samples. Exhibition dates are June 27 – September 26, 2026. Opening reception is June 27, with CCA Members' Preview 5-6 pm, Keynote Presentation 6 pm, and Public Reception 6-8 pm. Artwork receipt is June 8-12, and return of artwork is September 28 – October 2.