First Contact refers to the moment when humans and extraterrestrial life first meet. The subject raises many issues including communication, the future, religious belief, and humanities preparedness for such an event. “First Contact” is an exhibition in which artists explore these issues. It opened Friday, February 22 at Gallery Project in Ann Arbor, and it runs through March 24.

Curated by Seder Burns, Lecturer of New Media Studies at the University of Toledo, “First Contact” features a roster of local, regional, and internationally renowned artists. The show includes art by UT alumni Clifton Harvey and Jacob Tebbe and UT faculty members Seder Burns, Dan Hernandez, Barry Whittaker and Debra Davis, Dean of the College of Visual and Performing Arts. It also features work from HR Giger, well known for his design of the title creature in the “Alien” film series and Charles Lindsay, a 2010 Guggenheim Fellow and current Artist in Residence at the SETI Institute.

Gallery Project is located at 215 South Fourth Avenue, Ann Arbor, MI 48103. The gallery is closed Monday through Wednesday. Hours of operation are: Thursday-Saturday, noon-9; Sunday, noon-6.