Dr. Roberta Bondar, Canada’s first female astronaut, was in Woodstock Saturday afternoon to open an exhibit of Bondar’s photography called “Windows onto the Wild”.
The opening reception today included a “walk and talk” with Dr. Bondar aimed at encouraging an appreciation and better understanding of the natural environment through art. The Roberta Bondar Foundation calls it a "TELE", a customized Travelling Exhibition and Learning Experience that documents the beauty of the earth.
Dr. Bondar become an acclaimed photographer following her flight aboard the Shuttle Discovery 25 years ago. Now at 71, she is still sharing her love of photography and respect for the planet with audiences around North America. The exhibit also includes a nine-minute video to explain the background to how some of the images were captured.
She told CTV News that she’s had an interest in cameras since childhood, and that photography allowed her to connect with nature in way that hadn’t before been possible.
Bondar trained at NASA on thirteen different camera types including on an Imax camera. She then studied photography at the Brooks Institute of Photography in Santa Barbara, California.
The exhibit also marks a milestone for the Woodstock Art Gallery, which is celebrating its 50th anniversary. “Windows into the Wild” runs from Saturday, Feb. 18 until Friday, June 30.
