Noosphere Venture Partners Supports International Student Art Contest

Space Foundation , a 501(c)(3) global space advocate for nearly 40 years, today announced a new three-year partnership with Noosphere Venture Partners LP to support its annual International Student Art Contest. Now beginning its second decade, the contest invites students from around the world to electronically submit their original artwork in response to different themes announced each year. Student artists may draw, paint or create a mixed media or digital work of art and submit it online for entry.

Started in 2011, the annual International Student Art Contest inspires young people to use their creative gifts and curiosity to explore the wonders of space and the exciting possibilities in science, mathematics, engineering and technology (STEM) fields. It is a chance for students to explore their interests and showcase their talents, as well as an opportunity for parents, teachers and communities to spark a love of STEM in young people through the lens of space.

“Space Foundation is grateful and excited to partner with Noosphere to take the International Student Art Contest to its next level of worldwide impact. Blending the arts, sciences and imagination opens up a wellspring of creativity for young people to explore how they see themselves in the global space ecosystem,” said Shelli Brunswick, COO of Space Foundation. “Today’s young people are tomorrow’s innovators, entrepreneurs and leaders. With Noosphere’s support, the International Student Art Contest can celebrate students and inspire even more of them to reach for the stars.”

Noosphere Venture Partners LP, an international asset management firm, is sponsoring the event on the initiative of its managing partner, Max Polyakov , and has nominated Firefly Aerospace, a Noosphere Venture portfolio company, as its representative this year. Dr. Polyakov has long promoted the awareness of space and STEM, and was instrumental in creating the DREAM program, which has committed a portion of the payload capacity on the Firefly Alpha rocket’s maiden flight to support and stimulate STEM on a global basis.

“The goals of the International Art Contest align with the Noosphere theory, initially promoted by celebrated academician Volodymyr Vernadsky, which considers the human mind and knowledge to be driving forces of progress and the most valuable resources for the preservation of the planet.” – said Dr. Polyakov. “By instilling younger generations with a love and understanding of space, science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM), humanity will be better equipped to tackle the challenges facing the Earth.’’

Winning artwork to be displayed and shared worldwide

Each year, selections of the submitted art works are put on display at Space Foundation’s Discovery Center as well as at its annual Space Symposium, held in Colorado Springs, Colorado. Even more of the global artwork submissions are shared via Space Foundation’s website, as well as its social media channels. For as diverse as each submitter’s/country’s submissions may be, they all commonly share an imagination of color, wonder and hope for the future.

Students ages 3-18 are invited to enter the contest and share their vision. In recent years, over 4,500 submissions have been received by Space Foundation with numerous entries coming from India, China, Malaysia, UAE, Japan, the United States and elsewhere.

Each year, 25 winners are selected from the submissions. First, second and third place honors are awarded for each of the eight age categories, and then out of those finalists, one young artist will also receive the Space Foundation Achievement Award for their submission.