Photographing the Unseen

September 17, 2020 University of Maryland Art Gallery

UMD Art Gallery Acquires Images of Eerie Skinwalker Ranch

By Sala Levin ’10 | Maryland Today

In the Uinta Basin of eastern Utah, among the red mesas and wide-open stretches of land, unusual happenings have been part of the local fabric for years—maybe even centuries. Large wolf-like creatures that seem impervious to gunshots. Noises with no apparent source. Reports of unidentified flying objects.

Now, the University of Maryland Art Gallery is home to a glimpse of the area’s mysterious Skinwalker Ranch, thanks to a donation of more than 1,500 images from photographer Christopher Bartel, who worked at the ranch from 2010 to 2016 as a security officer.

The photographs, which will be available online to people affiliated with a university or museum, are a peek into a place people may have “read about and researched but never really seen,” said Taras Matla, associate director of the gallery.

An in-person exhibition is planned for early 2021, contingent upon COVID-19 guidance and regulations.

“I appreciate the incredible platform the UMD Art Gallery is providing me with,” said Bartel. “I am beyond thrilled to publicly share my vision and past experiences during my time at Skinwalker Ranch. It’s beyond humbling.”