By Lori Huseby and Searra Foote

On the weekend of February 27th - March 1st, 2026, the Kuiper Space Sciences building and the Lunar and Planetary Laboratory hosted the graduate student-led art show, The Art of Planetary Science (TAPS). Over 450 artists, scientists, and community members participated and visited the exhibit, where over 170 pieces of fine art, data art, theme art, and a special exhibit were displayed. The theme this year was “Space Through Our Lens,” evoking the feelings of inspiration and wonder when staring up at the night sky (e.g. through telescopes, cameras, etc.) and exploring our universe through a human perspective (e.g. our place in space).

Our keynote speaker this year was Regents Professor and Principal Investigator of HiRISE Dr. Alfred McEwen, who talked about the HiRISE mission, the incredible images that have been received thus far, and how geological images can be used as art. The special exhibit for this year was Apollo-era themed, featuring art from William K. Hartmann, Robert Rauschenberg, and Robert McCall. We express our sincere thanks to the Planetary Science Institute for the donation and loan of the Hartmann works during the show. We also express our gratitude to the Chuck Sonett family for the opportunity to show the Robert Rauschenberg works in our special exhibit.

In addition to this special exhibit, there were special events each day. Local bands “Daytrails”, “Rubee”, and “Tonight’s Sunshine” performed outside, night and day telescopes were provided for all by Professor of Practice Steve Kortenkamp and the Tucson Amateur Astronomy Association, respectively. On Saturday night we collaborated with Queer’d Science and the PRIDE team of the Tucson Public Library for a science-based Burlesque show, titled “Queer’d Science Astro Chiasm Cabaret” at Club Congress.

Visit the TAPS website for more information on the art show, including art winners and photo gallery, and information about our upcoming shows, including submission and show dates. Thank you to everyone who participated and visited the exhibit this year, and we cannot wait to see you all again in February 2027 for the next TAPS art show!