CONTEST IS NOW CLOSED
The National Space Society (NSS) is looking for student artists to create ORIGINAL illustrations for the NSS Roadmap to Space Settlement. Submitted artwork should REALISTICALLY illustrate one of this year’s two themes.
This year’s themes:
1. People Living and Working in Space Settlements
OR
2. Medicine and Medical Manufacturing in Space
1. People Living and Working in Space Settlements
Imagine that in the future you will be living, playing, or working in a space settlement on the Moon, Mars, an asteroid, or in an orbital space settlement! What would life look like? What would you see people doing? What views out of the windows would you see as you went about your normal tasks of daily life? What types of games or activities would you engage in?
This “living and working in space” theme challenges you to create a realistic illustration of some aspect of daily life in a space settlement anywhere in the solar system, i.e. as close as possible to what it might actually look like.
Your art piece must include at least one person and a view of the environment so that viewers can see that it is clearly a space settlement and not something else.
2. Medicine and Medical Manufacturing in Space
People living in space and in space settlements will need to stay healthy. A visit to a doctor will be a necessity. Imagine what a visit to the doctor’s office or hospital in space look like!
Imagine you are a doctor growing or 3D printing a new heart, liver, kidney, or lung that will not be rejected by the patient. What would organ manufacturing in a space factory (manned or unmanned) look like? Imagine you are a scientist conducting a medical test or experiment in a medical lab in space. What would that lab look like?
Space medicine will enhance the lives of people on Earth, producing drugs, vaccines, organs, and much more. Your challenge in this contest is to visualize and realistically illustrate medicine or medical manufacturing in space or in space settlements. Your art piece must include a view of the environment so that viewers can see that it is clearly in space or a space settlement and not something else.
Eligibility
All full-time students at any grade level between the ages of 13 and 25 are eligible.
All students under age 18 must have parental permission to participate.
Original artwork from entries submitted to the NSS/NASA Space Settlement Design Contest (including previous years) is encouraged.
Deadline
The deadline for submissions is March 16, 2017 (11:59 pm Universal Time).
Our goal is to have winners announced by April 1, 2017.
Requirements
The art must provide a realistic depiction of future human space settlement and associated activities and endeavors. Realistic means as accurate as possible both in science and engineering, and as closely as as possible to what a real space settlement would actually look like. The art need not be fully photorealistic, but the closer to that goal, the better. Art that has merit but is less realistic looking may still be accepted for display on the NSS website, but would be very unlikely to be a winning entry. Please note that we are not looking for abstract, impressionistic, surrealist, or science fiction art, and any such submissions will not be accepted into the contest.
Prizes
One piece of art will be awarded the Grand Prize for being the best artwork overall.
Up to 12 (twelve) entries will be selected as First Prize recipients from different grade level categories. These include grades 5-8, 9-12, undergraduate, and graduate.
Prizes will only be awarded at the Grand and First Prize levels if qualified entries are judged as meeting the standards for artwork of that award level. It may be that the quality of artwork received in any given year does not meet judging standards as stated per the Judging Guidelines for a particular award level and as such, no prize in that category would be awarded that year.
Other additional pieces of art may be selected for Honorable Mention.
All accepted entries will receive certificates of participation. All winning entries will receive certificates of merit and the following prizes (more prizes may be added to this list during the contest).
The Grand Prize winner will receive:
- Publication on the cover of the National Space Society magazine, Ad Astra
- An award certificate at the annual International Space Development Conference
- Complimentary registration to the 2017 International Space Development Conference in St. Louis, Missouri (does not include travel, accommodations, meals, etc.)
- 1 year complimentary membership in the National Space Society, including a subscription to Ad Astra magazine
- 5 complimentary copies of the Ad Astra magazine the art work is featured on
- Publication in a future National Space Society Space Settlement Calendar (if published), including being a finalist for the cover art for such calendar
- 5 complimentary copies of any future Space Settlement Calendar featuring the work
- Publication on the NSS website “Winner’s Gallery” for this contest
- Possible publication in the various forms of web, banners, posters, brochures, and/or other NSS Roadmap to Space Settlement publications
Each First Prize winner will receive:
- 1 year complimentary membership in the National Space Society, including a subscription to Ad Astra magazine
- Publication in a future National Space Society Space Settlement Calendar (if published)
- 2 complimentary copies of any future Space Settlement Calendar featuring the work
- Publication on the NSS website “Winner’s Gallery” for this contest
- Possible publication in the various forms of web, banners, posters, brochures, and/or other NSS Roadmap to Space Settlement publications
Any Honorable Mention winners will receive:
- 1 year complimentary membership in the National Space Society, including a subscription to Ad Astra magazine
- Possible publication in a future National Space Society Space Settlement Calendar
- A complimentary copy of any future Space Settlement Calendar featuring the work
- Publication on the NSS website “Winner’s Gallery” for this contest
- Possible publication in the various forms of web, banners, posters, brochures, and/or other NSS Roadmap to Space Settlement publications
Winning artwork will be displayed and viewed by the public and space professionals from around the world at the International Space Development Conference and at other possible venues throughout the year. The works of art accepted to the NSS Space Settlement Art Contest will be on public display in the NSS Gallery of Submitted Space Settlement Art (see the 2016 Gallery of Submitted Space Settlement Art).
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