National Geographic Live

press release: National Geographic Live, National Geographic’s touring speaker series that brings to life the awe-inspiring and remarkable stories of National Geographic Explorers, and Overture Center for the Arts are proud to announce ”Invisible Wonders” with Anand Varma, National Geographic Explorer and science photographer, is coming to Capitol Theater on Tuesday, May 24 at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are available at overture.org.

Varma is a science photographer who works to tell the story behind the science of everything, from primate behavior and hummingbird biomechanics to amphibian disease and forest ecology.

Varma started photographing natural history subjects while studying integrative biology at UC Berkeley and spent several years assisting other photographers before receiving a National Geographic Young Explorer grant to document the wetlands of Patagonia. He has since become a regular contributor to National Geographic as well as a National Geographic Emerging Explorer.

Anand Varma grew up exploring the woods near his childhood home in Atlanta, Georgia. As a teenager, he picked up his dad’s old camera on a whim and found that he could use it to feed his curiosity about the natural world—and to share his discoveries with others.

Varma graduated with a degree in integrative biology from UC Berkeley and now uses photography to share the story behind the science on everything from honeybee health to hummingbird biomechanics. He works to reveal the invisible details around us with the goal of sparking a sense of wonder about our world.

Since receiving an Early Career Grant from National Geographic in 2010, he has photographed numerous stories for National Geographic magazine, including the 2014 cover story called “Mindsuckers.” His recognitions include National Geographic Emerging Explorer, Media Innovation Fellow, Photographer of the Yea, and World Press Award for best nature story.

Varma lives in Berkeley, California.

MEET THE ARTIST: Stay after the show for a brief, informal Q&A with the artist.

Varma’s engaging, one-of-a-kind presentation is part of National Geographic Live’s amazing collection of events happening throughout the United States and abroad. National Geographic’s broad roster of talent, including renowned photographers, scientists, authors, filmmakers, and adventurers, share their behind-the-scenes stories from the front lines of exploration alongside stunning imagery and gripping footage.

The North American Presenting Sponsor for the 2021-2022 season is Office Depot. Overture’s National Geographic Live series is sponsored by Exact Sciences. Overture is grateful for this community support that helps make these experiences possible.

For more information on National Geographic Live and other National Geographic events, please visit nationalgeographic.com/events.

OVERTURE CENTER FOR THE ARTS in Madison, Wis., is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit arts organization that features seven state-of-the-art performance spaces and four galleries where national and international touring artists, nine resident companies and hundreds of local artists engage people in nearly 700,000 educational and artistic experiences each year. With the vision to provide “Extraordinary Experiences for All,” Overture’s mission is to support and elevate our community’s creative culture, economy and quality of life through the arts. overture.org