You are invited to attend a symposium dedicated to exploring the ways a dark night sky influences Appalachian identity, culture, and the construction of “sense of place” for those living and working in the region and beyond. As light pollution expands into more and more suburban and rural places, the ability for people to see and connect with the night sky is becoming increasingly limited. Appalachia remains one of the last bastions of relatively unpolluted night skies where residents may still look up and see the Milky Way stretching from horizon to horizon.
Dark Skies in Appalachian Identity, Culture, and Sense of Place seeks to illuminate the connection people have, either consciously or subconsciously, with a dark night sky through a study of the many ways the sky is represented in a variety of artistic expression.
Over three days, April 4-6 2024, writers, artists, musicians, filmmakers, scholars, and scientists will converge on the campus of Colgate University in the Village of Hamilton to share their work, ideas, and insights related to one of humanity’s first and most intimate connections to the natural world. We hope you can join us!
The organizers gratefully acknowledge financial support from the following campus partners:
- Colgate Arts Council
- Picker Interdisciplinary Science Institute
- Sweet Family Endowed Chair
- Live Music Collective
- Faculty Development Council
- Upstate Institute
- Department of Physics & Astronomy
- Environmental Studies Program
- Core Communities
- Beyond Colgate
(Photo Credit: Abraham Jones)
