Opening Reception - Dunes and Dreams: A Portrait of White Sands National Park

Join us at the Branigan Cultural Center for the opening of our newest exhibition Dunes & Dreams: A Portrait of White Sands National Park. This exhibit explores a stunning collection of photography from Emmitt Booher of the gypsum dunes at White Sands National Park.

Frequently photographed in sweeping panoramic views, local photographer Emmitt Booher seeks to invite a more intimate portrayal of the gypsum dunefields found at White Sands National Park through his photographs. Created over a five-year period, Booher explored the constraints of a square photograph format while capturing the ethereal quality and subtle tones of White Sands.

Emmitt Booher spent his early life living and working on a small ranch in New Mexico, which instilled a lifelong appreciation of the landscape, history, and people of New Mexico. After moving to Mesilla 34 years ago, Booher was drawn to the magical and sublime gypsum dunefields found at White Sands National Park. He has been photographing them ever since. Booher states, “These photographs reflect an introspective and intimate observation of this environment and as a metaphor of our world today. They invite the observer to take pause, to absorb the fragile landscape and explore the diversity of this complex ecosystem.”