Space Foundation Press Releases
Firefly Aerospace Saves Space Foundation International Student Art Contest
Written by: Space Foundation Editorial Team
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (Sept. 12, 2018) – Since 2011, the Space Foundation’s International Student Art Contest has inspired thousands of children around the globe to envision the possibilities and adventures to be found in space. However, for 2019, the art contest almost ended. In spite of participation by 4,578 children in 57 countries this year, a lack of sponsorship nearly killed plans for the contest to continue in 2019. But at the eleventh hour, Austin-based Firefly Aerospace stepped in to sponsor the art contest for 2019.
“Imagination combined with hard work brings new things into reality. By encouraging students to envision destinations for their spaceships, and providing them the platform to share their creations, we hope to instill excitement in the next generation of space enthusiasts and entrepreneurs,” said Firefly CEO Dr. Tom Markusic. “Firefly is honored to partner with the Space Foundation to provide students around our world with the opportunity to artistically contemplate new worlds and promote expanding the limits of their imagination.”
Dr. Max Polyakov, Firefly’s Co-Founder and Managing Partner at Silicon Valley-based Noosphere Ventures added, “I strongly support Space Foundation’s International Student Art Contest and believe it should be promoted widely. I asked my team to contribute to spreading the word about the contest. In the next year, I hope we, together with the Space Foundation, will initiate more projects aimed at youth.”
Student artists ages 3 to 18 years old are invited to enter the 2019 contest by submitting their original artwork. Children may draw, paint or create a digital mixed media image for the 2019 contest theme “Where Will Your Spaceship Take You?”
There is no cost to participate in the contest. The deadline to submit entries is noon universal time (12:00 UTC), Nov. 19, 2018, and artwork must be submitted online by the student’s teacher, parent or legal guardian, 18 years or older. Homeschool students are also invited to participate.
Prizes will be awarded by age category and the winners notified in February 2019.
Awards and Categories
The Space Foundation will award a total of 25 winners — first, second and third place for each age category and a Space Foundation Achievement Award.
Acceptable Artwork Media/Format
- Drawing
- Painting
- Mixed media
- Digital art
Eight Age Categories
- 3 – 4 years
- 5 – 6 years
- 7 – 8 years
- 9 – 10 years
- 11 – 12 years
- 13 – 14 years
- 15 – 16 years
- 17 – 18 years
Prizes and Exposure
- Winning entries will be displayed on the Space Foundation website and on the contest website, social media and at the 35th Space Symposium in Colorado Springs, Colo., USA, where space professionals from around the world will see the exhibit. View past contest winning artwork at: Art.SpaceFoundation.org
- Winning artwork will also be displayed at the Space Foundation headquarters and Discovery Center in Colorado Springs.
- All winners receive international exposure — digital images of past winners’ artwork have been sent to the International Space Station and displayed throughout China in 2018 as part of a national art exhibition by the Chinese Society of Astronautics (CSA).
How to Enter
All artwork must be submitted electronically at Art.SpaceFoundation.org by a teacher, parent or legal guardian, 18 years or older. For general contest questions, contact the Space Foundation at [email protected].
Due to the high volume of entries, we are unable to contact each participant regarding contest status. Please watch Art.SpaceFoundation.org for details and announcements.
About Firefly Aerospace
Firefly is developing a family of launch vehicles to provide industry-leading affordability, convenience and reliability for dedicated light to medium lift launches. Firefly’s Alpha and Beta vehicles utilize common technologies, manufacturing infrastructure and launch capabilities, providing LEO launch solutions for up to one and four metric tons of payload respectively. Alpha and Beta will provide the space industry with access to frequent launches at the lowest cost/kg, enabling ambitious commercial and exploration missions from LEO to the Moon. Headquartered in Cedar Park, Tex., Firefly has additional presence in Washington, D.C., Dnipro, Ukraine, and Tokyo, Japan. Firefly is financed by Noosphere Ventures of Menlo Park, Calif. Learn more by visiting fireflyspace.com.
About the Space Foundation
Founded in 1983, the Space Foundation is a 501(c)(3) and the world’s premier organization to inspire, educate, connect, and advocate on behalf of the global space community. It is a nonprofit leader in space awareness activities, educational programs, and major industry events, including the annual Space Symposium. Space Foundation headquarters is in Colorado Springs, Colo., USA, and has a public Discovery Center, including El Pomar Space Gallery, Northrop Grumman Science Center featuring Science On a Sphere® and the Lockheed Martin Space Education Center. The Space Foundation has a Washington, D.C., office and field representatives in Houston and the Florida Space Coast. It publishes The Space Report: The Authoritative Guide to Global Space Activity, and through its Space CertificationTM and Space Technology Hall of Fame® programs, recognizes space-based innovations that have been adapted to improve life on Earth. Visit both of our websites – www.SpaceFoundation.org and DiscoverSpace.org – and follow us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn and YouTube.
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Space Foundation Contact:
Colleen Parith, Coordinator – Social Media & Public Relations
[email protected]