NASA’s Commercial Crew Program is partnering with private companies to develop new spacecraft to fly astronauts on NASA missions to the International Space Station, and we want kids to have a fun way to learn more about this program while being creative!
The Commercial Crew Program is holding an artwork contest from Oct. 2 to Nov. 2 for children ages four to 12 years old. The winning artwork will be used to create a 2018 calendar, which has a different space-related theme for each month. The themes educate students about the International Space Station, astronauts, growing food in space and more! Unique and original artwork will be selected for each month. Once the calendar is complete, it will be transmitted to astronauts aboard the space station. The calendar also will include supplemental education materials for kids here on Earth to learn more about the space-related themes.
Go to https://go.nasa.gov/2xBWNj4 for more information about the competition’s themes, rules and deadlines plus the entry form. Get your parent’s permission, of course!
A look at the history and status today of rendering the cosmos in paintings, drawings, digital media, and sculptures: The Art of Space Art – The Paris Review
We can trace the sparks for today’s space art as far back as Jules Verne, who published his novel Off on a Comet in 1877 with a painting by Paul Dominique Philippoteaux that imagined Saturn as more than just points of light in the sky. Before that, no one was depicting other planets as places you could stand on—places you could look up from rather than to. By the end of the nineteenth century, the astronomer Percival Lowell had begun to publish his series of illustrated books that reflected his claim that the lines he saw on Mars were artificial canals, the work of intelligent Martians. The public imagination quickened. In 1937, the French artist, author, and astronomer Lucien Rudaux published a book illustrated with what he believed the surfaces of other planets to look like. The book caught the attention of [Chesley] Bonestell, who had been working as a special effects artist in Hollywood. He began creating realistic paintings from the perspective of someone standing on the surface of the moon or Titan, publishing his work in Life in 1944. He became the most prominent name in the field, his vision bolstered by the work of a handful of iconic contemporaries such as Ludek Pesek, an artist and astronomer who’d also been inspired by Rudaux.
Today there are new inspirations and new outlets for space art:
Multiple artists I spoke with hoped that SpaceX and its competitors would widen the market for high-profile space art beyond NASA, especially since there are only so many journal covers to go around. The genre is also finally gaining acceptance in the fine-arts world; galleries that once dismissed the genre as merely illustrative are now opening their doors to space artists. One IAAA member is rendering a series of deep-space images—nebulae, galaxies, images inspired by Hubble—as quilts.
A wide-ranging survey exhibition, it brings together contemporary artists from across the Americas who have tapped into science fiction’s capacity to imagine new realities, both utopian and dystopian. Science fiction offers a unique artistic landscape in which to explore the colonial enterprise that shaped the Americas and to present alternative perspectives speculating on the past and the future. In the works featured in the exhibition, most created in the last two decades, artists employ the imagery of science fiction to suggest diverse modes of existence and represent “alienating” ways of being in the world. Drawing on UCR’s strong faculty and collections in science fiction, the exhibition offers a groundbreaking account of the intersections among science fiction, techno-culture, and the visual arts.
[] Beatriz Cortez – 2017 – “This sculpture takes the form of a space capsule that brings together references to space travel, local construction techniques, and Indigenous Maya architecture. The architectural shell features embellishments that invoke the river rocks commonly used in the construction of contemporary homes throughout Southern California. ” Continue…
Using simple paintbrushes and paint, pediatric cancer patients employed whorls of color to form creations that would make anyone smile. These mini masterpieces, painted on fabric canvas, were later stitched together into intricate, flamboyant spacesuits that any superhero (or astronaut) would be proud to don. But what became evident throughout the process to create these stunning works is that the real superheroes embodying Hope, Courage and Unity—the names of the spacesuits—were the children all along.
The program was “initiated by the MD Anderson Cancer Center Arts in Medicine Program in collaboration with NASA Johnson Space Center, spacesuit manufacturer ILC Dover, retired astronaut Nicole Stott and later with the agency’s international partners”.
Expedition 52 flight engineer Jack Fischer donned “Unity,” a patchwork costume spacesuit decorated by children with cancer in the U.S., Russia, Germany, Japan, and Canada — the same countries that operate the space station. The multicolor garment, a product of the Spacesuit Art Project, was pieced together by ILC Dover, the same company that furnishes the softgoods for NASA’s real spacesuits. … “It is tricky to get into, but it is worth it, kind of like the real suit,” said Fischer during a live downlink with the project’s organizers and some of the children who contributed to the design. “The real suit, you have the reward of getting to go outside and seeing an amazing view. [With] this suit, you have the reward of the opportunity – or rather the honor, to represent the bravest kids in the world who actually put it together.”
From the latest Explore Mars newsletter comes news of the premier of a rock opera about settling Mars:
Explore Mars, Inc. excited about our sponsorship of the innovative rock opera, One Way Trip to Mars that will have its world theatrical premiere from August 24-27, 2017 at the Waterville Opera House in Waterville, Maine.
Composed by Peter Alexander and Johanna Harkness, and based on a story written by Dennis St. Pierre, the setting of this ambitious production is in the year 2033 when “…NASA sends the astronaut Paolo on a one-way trip to Mars to set up the infrastructure for a human colony, but he must leave behind forever everything he holds dear— including his loving wife Cassandra….”. The show features a professional cast that underwent an extensive auditioning process in New York City. [With “international recording artist Fantine playing the leading lady role”.]
“Explore Mars has always firmly believed that if the goal of landing humans on Mars in the 2030s is to be achieved, not only must the scientific, engineering, and policy communities are fully engaged but so too must the arts and entertainment community,” commented Explore Mars CEO, Chris Carberry. “One Way Trip to Mars is a unique show that will not only entertain theatergoers but also will help to build the necessary public support for actual human missions beginning by the year 2033.”
The production will also feature an Art and Science Fair to help engage students and the audience in the drama and science of Mars exploration and contribute to the public’s interest and support for future missions to Mars and beyond.
According to composer Peter Alexander, “One of the key features of our show is that the storyline is based on current science. The production highlights that human missions to Mars in the 2030s are both realistic and feasible, which is a message that has been espoused by Explore Mars, Inc. for many years and for which Explore Mars has gained great respect and credibility within the space exploration community. We are very pleased and excited to be able to partner with Explore Mars, Inc. in this endeavor.”