Two new exhibitions, one by Portsmouth artist and photographer Carl Austin Hyatt and another of Californian impressionist landscapes from The Irvine Museum opens at the university’s Museum of Art, Jan. 26. A public reception for “Sacred Landscapes of Peru: The Photographs of Carl Austin Hyatt” and “California Impressionism, Paintings from The Irvine Museum” will be held Friday, Jan. 25, from 6-8 p.m. “Sacred Landscapes of Peru: The Photographs of Carl Austin Hyatt” features photographs from Hyatt’s travels to Peru where he documents and studies indigenous spiritual practices.  His black and white pictures range from images of Machu Picchu to abstracted images of Inca stonework, portraits, images of a shaman ritual, and landscape images of Cusco. The exhibition also includes a selection of Q’ero textiles Hyatt has collected during his many journeys.His photography expertly blends the science of photography with the art of capturing the spiritual essence of all of his subjects. In this presentation, portraits and landscapes become the conduit for a deeper exploration of the relationship between past and present, light and dark, and the ebb and flow of time. A 1996 MacDowell Colony Fellow, Hyatt's work is represented in collections across the United States, Canada, Europe, and Asia.“California Impressionism, Paintings from The Irvine Museum” highlights works from the late 19th and 20th century, when California’s majestic landscape served as the inspiration for profusion of light-filled paintings. Artists set out to capture its vivid colors and intense sunshine in a distinctive style that has come to be called California Impressionism or California plein air painting. This traveling exhibition from The Irvine Museum features 35 works by 29 important California painters, including Franz A. Bischoff (1864-1929), Donna Schuster (1883-1953), and Thaddeus Welch (1844-1919), and is supported by the FEDCO Charitable Foundation and the S. Melvin and Mary Jo Rines Art Exhibition Fund.Programs offered in conjunction with the exhibits include: Jan. 30: ArtBreak: “Impressions” by Kenny Bini and Samantha Jorgensen, M.F.A. degree candidates, department of art and art history, noon, Museum of Art; Feb. 7: Lecture: “Shamanism” by Carl Austin Hyatt and Hillary S. Webb, 6:30 p.m., room A219, Paul Creative Arts Center;   Feb. 13: ArtBreak: gallery talk by Hyatt, noon, room A219, Paul Creative Arts Center;  March 20: Lecture: “Like A Beam of Light Reflected Through a Prism: The Californian Missions” by Hetty Startup, lecturer, department of art and art history, noon, room A219, Paul Creative Arts Center; March 23: Discussion: “Andean Ceremonial Celebrations” with Hyatt and Webb.All exhibitions are supported in part by the Friends of the Museum of Art. This year, the Museum of Art recognizes the 40th anniversary of the establishment of the Bachelor of Fine Arts degree program at UNH, and the dedication of the museum’s exhibition spaces. The Museum of Art is open during the academic year: Monday-Wednesday, 10 a.m.- 4 p.m.; Thursday, 10 a.m.-8 p.m.; and Saturday and Sunday, 1-5 p.m.; closed Fridays, university holidays, and March 8-17. Guided group tours for schools and other organizations are available with advance reservation by contacting Catherine A. Mazur, education and publicity coordinator, at catherine.mazur@unh.edu or 2-3713. For more information, contact the Museum of Art at 2-3712, museum.of.art@unh.edu, or visit www.unh.edu/moa.