Established soon after the inception of the U.S. space program in 1958, NASA’s Art Program provides a unique way to communicate the accomplishments, setbacks, and sheer excitement of space exploration to the public. Over the years, more than 200 NASA-commissioned artists have enjoyed a behind-the-scenes perspective of the agency, often working directly with the astronauts, scientists, and other personnel who have shaped its missions and programs. Some watched Neil Armstrong “suit up” for his mission to the moon, or, more recently, witnessed contact with Mars rovers from mission control rooms. In celebration of its 50th anniversary in 2008, NASA is collaborating with SITES and the Smithsonian’s National Air and Space Museum (NASM) on NASA | ART: 50 Years of Exploration. Drawn from works in NASA and NASM’s archives that range from the illustrative to the abstract, the exhibition features approximately 50 paintings, drawings, photographs, sculpture, and other media by such artists as Annie Leibowitz, Nam June Paik, Robert Rauschenberg, Norman Rockwell, Doug and Mike Starn, Andy Warhol, William Wegman, and Jamie Wyeth.

Contents	73 framed photographs, paintings, and works on paper, sculpture, audio art, mixed media, text and graphic panels, labels; casework to be determined
Supplemental	Educational and promotional resources; exhibition brochures for public distribution; copy of companion book, NASA | ART (Harry N. Abrams, 2007)
Participation Fee	$33,000 per venue
Size	300 running feet, est.
Crates	16-18, est.
Weight	8,750 lbs., est.
Category	Art
Security	High
Shipping	Prorated, SITES-designated carrier
SITES Contacts	Devra Wexler, 202.633.3114 Ed Liskey, 202.633.3142
Tour Begins	October 2008

 

Dates		Host Institution	Status
10/25/2008	1/18/2009	Art League of Bonita Springs, Bonita Springs, FL	Booked
2/7/2009	5/3/2009		Call for Availability
5/23/2009	8/16/2009	Huntsville Museum of Art, Huntsville, AL	Booked
9/5/2009	11/29/2009	Irving Arts Center, Irving, TX	Reserved
12/19/2009	3/14/2010	Colorado Springs Fine Arts Center	Booked
4/3/2010	6/27/2010	Lauren Rogers Museum of Art, Laurel, MS	Booked
7/17/2010	10/10/2010		Call for Availability
10/30/2010	1/23/2011		Call for Availability
2/12/2011	5/8/2011	Clay Center for the Arts and Sciences of West Virginia, Charleston, WV	Booked
5/28/2011	8/21/2011		Call for Availability

NASA | ART (Harry N. Abrams, 2007)

 

May 20, 2008 Media only:    Jennifer Schommer (202) 633-3121     Public only:   (202) 633-1000 or TTY (202) 633-5285 Smithsonian Celebrates NASA’s 50th Anniversary with Traveling Art Exhibition   NASA’s historic triumphs and pioneering legacy are well known to millions, but the inspiring rocket launches, moon landings and planetary explorations also have had an impact on the imaginations of America’s leading artists. As the space agency turns 50 this fall, the Smithsonian Institution Traveling Exhibition Service (SITES) will launch a national tour of NASA | ART: 50 Years of Exploration, featuring 73 works from those artists. NASA | ART opens at the Art League of Bonita Springs in Bonita Springs, Fla., Oct. 25. It will be on view there through Jan. 17, 2009, and then travel to 10 museums through 2011. The exhibition is organized by SITES and NASA in cooperation with the Smithsonian’s National Air and Space Museum. It features nearly five decades of creations by artists as diverse as Annie Leibovitz, Nam June Paik, Norman Rockwell, Doug and Mike Starn, Andy Warhol and William Wegman. Drawn from the collections of NASA and the National Air and Space Museum, the exhibition includes drawings, photographs, sculpture and other art forms and media. These works—ranging from the illustrative to the abstract—offer unparalleled insight into the private and personal moments, triumphant victories and tragic accidents that form the storied history of NASA. For example, in Henry Caselli’s “When Thoughts Turned Inward,” the artist captures the serene, almost spiritual moment before takeoff, when an astronaut must prepare mentally for a mission. In Chakaia Booker’s “Remembering Columbia,” the tragedy and pain of the lost Space Shuttle Columbia and its crew are transformed in the twisting tire remnants preserved from one of the shuttle’s earlier missions. And Andy Warhol melds Buzz Aldrin’s historic steps on the lunar surface with the unbridled exuberance and flashiness of the 1960s in his neon-highlighted “Moonwalk” silkscreen.  The works featured in the exhibit date from the inception of the NASA Art Program in 1962, when NASA administrator James E. Webb asked a group of artists to illustrate, interpret and elucidate the space agency’s missions and projects. Since then, painters, musicians and conceptual artists have been with NASA every step of the way, strolling along launch pads, training in flight simulators, talking with engineers and technicians and visiting with astronauts before and after their flights. A companion book complements the national traveling exhibition. NASA | ART: 50 Years of Exploration will be published in fall 2008 by Harry N. Abrams. NASA was established by Congress in 1958 “to provide for research into the problems of flight within and outside the Earth’s atmosphere, and for other purposes.” The agency is headquartered in Washington, D.C., with 10 field centers and other facilities across the nation. NASA’s mission is to pioneer the future in space exploration, scientific discovery and aeronautics research. www.nasa.gov The National Air and Space Museum, composed of the flagship building on the National Mall in Washington and the Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center in Chantilly, Va., is home to the world’s finest collection of flight artifacts. From aircraft and space vehicles to engines, art and models, the wide array of the museum’s holdings tells the story of the history and technology of air and space exploration. The museum is also a key resource for research into the history, science and technology of aviation and space flight. www.nasm.si.edu