What do we see in the darkness of the night sky?

Visitors of all ages are invited to explore the subtle variations of dark

colors through night sky painting and drawing. Using a variety of materials, from

watercolor to oil pastels, from white to colored paper, we will experiment with rich,

nuanced tones of darkness.

The night sky can be as simple and abstract as layers of dark colors, or it can become a place for imagination: colorful stars, a pink full moon, trees reaching toward the stars, a wild ocean under moonlight, or a little house beneath the northern lights.

Through playful exploration of colors, shapes, and materials, participants are encouraged to move freely between abstraction and representation, discovering their own interpretations of the night sky inspired by Because the Sky Is Blue and other works of art throughout history.

Ryosuke Kumakura, Night Window, 2026, Charcoal, watercolor, glitter and sand on paper in double-pane frame, 30 x 25 x 2 inches, Courtesy of the artist and PATRON, Chicago

Born and raised in Niigata, Japan (now based in Maine) Ryosuke Kumakura’s conceptual painting practice examines the ways we organize our surroundings and lives. Each intimate work is an observational meditation on the essence within everyday objects and the patina of daily life.

Through his acute attention to an object’s textural, tactile quality, Kumakura teases and blurs the boundaries between object and canvas as well as painting and viewer. Each work he creates is rendered with a tender precision capturing the stains on the t-shirt of a past lover, the hole in the sole of a worn sock, or the frayed edge on a bathroom towel.

These imperfections gesture towards the true spirit of a thing, not only holding the existence of those who have used and loved the objects, but also giving the painting an essence in and of itself.