Noteworthy NASA Art Exhibit NOW OPEN at MOAS in Daytona Beach, FL

Jan. 25, 2013 - PRLog -- A noteworthy collaboration between the United States of America, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), the John F. Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex (KSCVC) and the Museum of Arts & Sciences (MOAS) includes over forty paintings from the heart of the NASA collection which exemplify the history of American spaceflight from the Mercury program (1958) all the way through the recent conclusion of the Space Shuttle era. Florida Celebrates Space is open at MOAS through April 28, 2013. http://www.moas.org/Current.html

The exhibition is offered in celebration of the 500th anniversary of Ponce de León’s discovery of Florida and illustrates the peninsula not only as a destination for the first explorers, but as a gateway for those launching to explore new worlds beyond Earth. Included are pieces by Annie Leibovitz, Andy Warhol, James Wyeth and Robert Rauschenberg.

The establishment of NASA's Art Program can be traced back to March of 1962, when then NASA administrator, James Webb, wrote a memo to his staff stating his desire to invite artists to interpret and record the momentous events that were unfolding. His foresight led to the creation of a rich and diverse collection of groundbreaking and significant art by respected and renowned artists. With unprecedented access to all levels of NASA's activities, these artists revealed spaceflight in not only a scientific light, but also an emotional and experiential one.  

According to Seth Mayo, MOAS Curator of Astronomy, "This is a once-in-a-lifetime exhibition bringing together some of the most prolific American artists who have captured and lent their unique perspectives to some of the most important moments in our history."

In addition to the exhibit, MOAS will be featuring a number of special speakers from the Smithsonian Institution and from the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex, as well as Kent Sullivan, an artist whose work is featured in the NASA collection. The artist’s Florida Homecoming is featured on the cover of the Winter 2013 issue of Arts & Sciences magazine, the Museum of Arts & Sciences’ quarterly publication. http://www.moas.org/Floridacelebratesspaceevents.html

The Museum is also hosting a “Saturdays in Space” film series – featuring films such as The Journeys of Apollo and 50 Years of Exploration – The Golden Anniversary of NASA. The films begin at 1pm, every other Saturday beginning January 26th, and are free for Museum members or included in Museum general admission for non-members. For a complete and up-to-date schedule of events, films and lectures, see www.moas.org - http://www.moas.org/main.cfm

MOAS offers special thanks to Bertram Ulrich, NASA Art Program Director; Daniel Gruenbaum, Acting Collections and Content Manager at the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex; and Jennifer Mayo, Artifact Collections Registrar, Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex.

Exhibits and dates subject to change.