Back to Bones, Paleoart Show & Naturescapes Winners

New Mexico has proven to be a rich minefield for fossils, and that has resulted in the New Mexico Museum of Natural History & Science’s status as a world-class repository for fossils. The museum struts its paleontological stuff in the ongoing exhibition Back to Bones: New Mexico’s Links to the Past featuring rarely seen specimens from the permanent collection.

The exhibition will be on display through October 2019. And between now and then, you just never know what kind of major, even historic fossil finds maybe forthcoming.

A good reason to visit the museum during December and over the holiday break is the stunning exhibition — Picturing the Past — a juried exhibition of 87 pieces of paleoart, the work of 46 artists from 15 countries. Picturing the Past is on display only through Jan. 4, 2019. Paleoart is scientifically informed artwork that reconstructs ancient life and prehistoric environments. These artists literally draw from the fossil record for their inspiration, using their knowledge of anatomy, evolution and inference to create lifelike renderings of creatures that went extinct millions of years ago. In all, this year, 115 artists from 26 countries submitted 325 entries. https://252mya.com/products/picturing-the-past-exhibition-catalog.

And, to be a New Mexican is to love the big sky. Be sure to stop by and see the winning photos from this year’s Naturescapes photo competition with the theme ‘clouds.’ This year, the Museum received 142 entries. Of those, the competition judges were able to select 30 photos that show clouds in many different forms and interpretations.

Open Daily, 9 a.m.–5 p.m. $8 Adults (13–59) $7 Seniors (60+), $5 Children (3–12). Free to NM residents with ID on the first Sunday of the month and every Wednesday to NM Seniors with ID.