Art is Inspiring the Next Generation of Space Leaders

Through art, our creativity brings the imagination to life. It is the inspiration found in artistic expression that led Space Foundation Director of Marketing, Nancy Reed, to establish the International Student Art Contest. In its first year, eight years ago, the contest received 150 entries, mostly from Colorado. Since then, the contest has grown worldwide, with more than 7,000 entries from 52 countries.

Reed said, “It has been interesting to observe how the contest has grown and taken shape over the past seven years. Most of all, and most rewarding, is the realization that each art entry received from around the world, involves a budding, hopeful and talented student artist, with hopes their artwork will be a winner. It is also inspiring to witness how children’s art transcends politics, cultural differences and ideology. It is obvious children universally love space and appreciate and see it very similarly, no matter where they are from.”

Art has been staking its claim in the STEM fields (science, technology, engineering and mathematics), changing the acronym to STEAM. Artists help scientists and engineers express their ideas in a format understandable by investors, other aerospace professionals, the general public and even children.

Each year, 25 winners are selected, three in each age group and one overall Space Achievement Award. Winning artwork is displayed each spring at the Space Foundation’s Space Symposium, held in Colorado Springs (pictured earlier this year).

The contest, we have found, not only inspires the student artists, but their teachers and families, as well. Floods of gratitude-filled e-mails come in when winners are announced, coupled with the weekly e-mails asking when the next contest will begin. The student art contest has inspired, and continues to inspire future generations of space leaders.

For 2018, the theme for the student art contest is “My Space City Vision…” As countries around the world compete to be the first to establish a human colony in space, this year’s theme challenges our young student artists to imagine what a city in space would look like. The 2018 winners will be announced in January 2018.

Sponsorship
The Space Foundation’s International Student Art Contest needs sponsorship in order to continue. Please help keep this inspiring contest alive with your support. Your sponsorship will allow us to send prizes to winners, many of whom live outside of the United States, some in second and third world nations. For details, please contact the Space Foundation Philanthropy department at [email protected].