New Exhibit at Mill City Museum to Feature Vibrant Photos of Minnesota’s Night Sky

MINNEAPOLIS, Minn. (November 13, 2023) – A new, free photography exhibit coming to Mill City Museum will explore the wonders of the stars and how we understand our place in the universe.

Showcasing the work of photographer Travis Novitsky (Grand Portage Band of Lake Superior Chippewa), the new exhibit, titled Spirits Dancing: Photographs of the Night Sky highlights majestic, starry nights in northern Minnesota. Spirits Dancing reveals how the union of Western science and Indigenous knowledge enriches our understanding of our place in the universe.

The photos, drawn from the recently released book Spirits Dancing: The Night Sky, Indigenous Knowledge, and Living Connections to the Cosmos by Novitsky with text by Annette S. Lee PhD, MFA (Communities Ojibwe and D(L)akota) and published by MNHS Press, tell the story of how humans have long marveled at the night sky and found peace in stargazing.

Located in the Mill Commons area of the Mill City Museum, the exhibit will be free and open to the public during regular museum hours through April 7, 2024. 

Visitors can get their first look at Spirits Dancing on November 15 during a free exhibit opening reception and book launch from 6–8 pm. At 7 pm, Novitsky will discuss his photography process, Indigenous knowledge, and the cosmic phenomena captured in his photographs.

More information about the Spirits Dancing exhibit can be found at mnhs.org/millcity.

To schedule a preview of the exhibit, please contact Nick Jungheim.

About the Minnesota Historical Society
The Minnesota Historical Society is a non-profit educational and cultural institution established in 1849. MNHS collects, preserves, and tells the story of Minnesota’s past through museum exhibits, libraries and collections, historic sites, educational programs, and book publishing. Using the power of history to transform lives, MNHS preserves our past, shares our state’s stories, and connects people with history.