OK Go contest to send student “art experiments” to space on Blue’s New Shepard

The band OK Go is hosting the Art In Space contest in which a “student art experiment” will fly to space on the Blue Origin‘s suborbital New Shepard rocket vehicle. OK Go is partnering on the contest with the Playful Learning Lab at the University of St Thomas, and sponsor Cognizant Technology Solutions. Here is the contest announcement from Cognizant

What would happen if an art experiment was launched into space? That’s the question that Grammy award-winning rock band OK Go is hoping to answer through its non-profit venture OK Go Sandbox.

In partnership with the Playful Learning Lab at the University of St. Thomas, the band is inviting students ages 11 to 18 to submit ideas for art experiments that will take place aboard the Blue Origin New Shepard spacecraft. Blue Origin’s New Shepard is a reusable spacecraft designed to take payloads — and someday, people — into suborbital space. As part of its ongoing commitment to promoting creativity and inspiring interest in science, technology, engineering and math, Cognizant is sponsoring the “Art in Space” contest.

“Cognizant helps our clients across industries – including healthcare, life sciences, banking, retail, energy and technology – solve some of the world’s most complex challenges, and we will look to the next generation of creative thinkers to further our work,” said Jim Lennox, Cognizant’s Chief People Officer. “The resources provided by OK Go and Playful Learning Lab to help teachers inspire students is so important. We look forward to seeing how young minds around the world respond to the ‘Art in Space’ challenge.”

Students from around the world are invited to submit their project ideas; the deadline to enter is May 6. To read the contest guidelines and to learn more, click here.

The contest is the latest public involvement initiative at the band’s OK Go Sandbox project.

OK Go wants to put your student art experiment on a spaceship!

OK Go thinks creativity is all about the joy of experimentation.

Making a music video in microgravity was one big experiment.

We tried all sorts of creative ideas and put them to the test within the limitations of physics and gravity.

Now we want you to try, but in actual space! The Art in Space contest invites your creative art and science minds to dream up your own cool experiments to send into suborbital space onboard the New Shepard spacecraft.

All you need is a great idea — if you win, our experts will help build it.

Got questions? We’ve got answers* (some answers, the rest are up to you!)

The band is well known for the innovative videos for their songs. Here is one filmed on an airplane that flew parabolic trajectories to product short periods of weightlessness: