NASA's missions have been thoroughly documented and photographed from nearly every possible angle, but their emotional power and significance are sometimes best captured by different types of artists. In 1961, the NASA Art Program was established, allowing NASA curators to invite painters, sculptors, poets, musicians, and others to witness, document, and interpret the agency's history-making activities. Among the program's alumni are Laurie Anderson, Jane Ira Bloom, Chakaia Booker, Vija Celmins, Judy Collins, Patti LaBelle, Annie Leibovitz, Robert McCall, Wendell Minor, Nam June Paik, Robert Rauschenberg, Norman Rockwell, William Wegman, and Jamie Wyeth. Their work depicts a wide range of subjects and provides both a record of NASA projects and a better understanding of new advancements. Many of the pieces are displayed in galleries, museums, and NASA centers around the country, or they are presented online in virtual art galleries, such as www.nasa.gov/multimedia/artgallery.
Featured at the Festival:
Chakaia Booker, New York, New York
Chakaia is best known for using recycled rubber tires to create highly expressive sculptures that address universal themes and environmental issues. She has been commissioned by notable institutions and organizations, including the NASA Art Program, to create such works as Remembering Columbia (2006), which pays tribute to the lost Space Shuttle Columbia using tire remnants preserved from Columbia's previous missions.
Les Bossinas, Cleveland, Ohio
Les is an artist and designer who worked with NASA's Glenn Research Center illustrating air and spacecraft concepts and drawing technical illustrations before retiring in 2001. He holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree from Ohio University and has held several positions in graphics and industrial design in the Greater Cleveland area.
Nicky Enright, New York, New York
Nicky is a multimedia artist and founder of Big Hands Murals. His work has been exhibited nationally, and he has executed numerous commissions for clients such as NASA, NBC News, MTA Arts for Transit, and the Cooper-Hewitt National Design Museum. His work has been published and reviewed in several publications, including the New York Times and Public Art Review. For more information, visit www.Big-Hands.com.
Mary Edna Fraser, Charleston, South Carolina
Working in the ancient textile medium of batik, Mary Edna merges modern dye technology on silk with aerial and satellite photography, maps, and charts. Her pioneering art and large-scale batiks have been collected and exhibited worldwide, including at the Duke University Museum of Art, National Academy of Sciences, NASA, National Geographic Society, Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum, and other institutions.
Pat Rawlings, Houston, Texas
Pat creates images with scientific and technical themes that appeal to rocket scientists and regular folks. After consulting with numerous space experts, he uses hand-built and computer models, topographical maps, and space and family vacation photos to mentally create his worlds. His desire to travel in space and time has motivated him to make as accurate scenes as possible.
