In the summer of 2018 Santa Fe, New Mexico is hosting a series of contemporary and galactic events.  A city well known for its cultural history and traditional art will be juxtaposed with galactic, atomic and virtual reality experiences that will make visitors think big and question what they've always known. Outlined below are a series of events defining a contemporary summer in Santa Fe.

CURRENTS NEW MEDIA FESTIVAL

For the 9th year, the annual CURRENTS NEW MEDIA festival will be held citywide June 8-24th in traditional gallery venues, as well as public and outdoor spaces across Santa Fe. The event brings together emerging and established contemporary artists from across the USA and abroad, that are creating work on the boundary pushing edge of contemporary art.  The works span a number of art types including interactive and non-interactive installations, multimedia performances, VR and AR environments, animation, experimental documentary, 3D printing and more. Many performances and installations are free to the public.

The First InterPlanetary Festival

On June 7th and 8th, the first annual InterPlanetary Festival will draw space enthusiasts from around the world for a two-day celebration of human ingenuity. The festival, created by The Santa Fe Institute, will transform the Railyard District in downtown Santa Fe with an expo showcasing innovation and technology for space exploration. Concurrent with the expo, participants can enjoy open-air concerts, maker spaces, lectures and panel discussions, a Sci-Fi film showcase, projects, art walks, talks, and installations, cosplay and gaming centered around InterPlanetary topics and citizen science. The festival also concludes with a special outdoor concert co-hosted by Meow Wolf, Santa Fe's permanent attraction filled with art, technology, and fantastic environments inspiring visitors of all ages. This year Meow Wolf and the Santa Fe Railyard will host DJ performer Max Cooper on Friday June 8 at 8:30 p.m.  Pricing TBD.

Doctor Atomic at The Santa Fe Opera

Doctor Atomic takes place in Los Alamos during the summer of 1945, leading up to the detonation of the first atomic bomb at the Trinity Site outside Alamogordo. With a libretto by Peter Sellars, the opera is a powerful interpretation in words and music of the scientific, political, moral and ethical tensions inherent in the birth of the atomic bomb. Commissioned by the San Francisco Opera in 2005, this is the first time the opera will be performed in New Mexico, the epicenter of the opera's storyline. The first performance will be held on Saturday, July 14 and the show will hold multiple performances through August 16. For more information or to buy tickets, visit www.santafeopera.org.