05/23/2026
Join us on Friday, June 5th 6-8pm for the opening of Outside the Spectrum: Alaska Satellite Art, an exhibition by Nara McCray.
The exhibition presents a series of works derived entirely from satellite reflectance data captured over Alaska. Satellites capture more of the light spectrum than conventional cameras; the art in this exhibit uses wavelengths of light, some of which exist beyond detection of the human eye, to reveal a new kind of beauty.
By manipulating satellite data both visually—such as shifting a river from blue to pink—and analytically, through mathematical indices that emphasize features like vegetation, the work reimagines familiar landscapes as information-art. These images are not maps, and they are not meant to guide or situate the viewer. They invite viewers to appreciate the landscape without the constraints of human-defined geography.
Ultimately, the exhibition reframes technical tools as artistic media, created not by a traditional artist, but by a geospatial scientist whose presence in the field is itself an exception.
Nara McCray is a GIS and remote sensing scientist, born and raised in Alaska and currently based in Spain. Her professional work focuses on the use of spatial data to support humanitarian response, while her creative pursuit explores the use of satellite imagery as an artistic medium.
