SciArt Exchange
SciArt Exchange engages people of all sectors in the arts, space and science, to spark new ways of thinking, illuminate complex concepts and advance innovative solutions. SAE provides science and arts programs that engage, educate & stimulate inspired dialogue about the arts and future space & related Earth challenges.
SciArt Exchange (SAE) ignites curiosity and creativity at the intersection of art, science and technology. From Houston to the world, SAE connects individuals and communities through immersive art experiences, virtual and in-person. The arts and space are known motivators to engagement, increasing creativity and communication (de Vries H. Space for STEAM. Front Psychol. 3/23/21). SAE programs inspire imagination, teach creative problem-solving, and cultivate respect for diverse perspectives— essential skills for collaboration and innovation. Since inception, 18,000+ people from 68 countries participated in SAE programs. Their artworks were in 500+ displays and live performances, engaging 4.5+ million in-person viewers and listeners. SAE doesn’t just explore the arts and sciences; it explores the limitless potential of human ingenuity.
Programs & Activities
Humans in Space Art is a free, virtual international art contest followed by in-person tours. Participants of all ages and backgrounds use visual, literary, musical, film or interactive artwork to creatively relay their ideas about space, science and technology topics. Tours are often worldwide engaging diverse communities. This reach is possible as SAE has developed an online submission system that can handle thousands of artwork entries per contest in a variety of artistic mediums. For example, Project Mars included visual art and film created by professional adult artists and Humans in Space Youth Art included music, film, literature and visual art.
Through the free #XpandYourHorizon Challenges, participants consider a space exploration-related problem, and with a virtual, multi-disciplinary informal curriculum, use the arts to innovate and propose solutions. Design Your Habitat (DYH 1.0), a virtual initiative, was created in 2020 to support the global community during COVID social distancing through creative engagement. SAE hosted dynamic and positive activities throughout April and May 2020. We aligned what was happening worldwide to the isolated and confined conditions of space, providing positive tips and perspectives from astronauts and space design experts via video interview. The goal was to engage the creative audience in thinking and learning about space exploration and creating art, music, literature and film to share their ideas and reflections. Thousands of people worldwide connected with DYH 1.0 during a 3 year period connecting with podcasts, videos, and viewing and submitting artwork. All is still available on the website.
Launched in 2024, Design Your Habitat 2.0 (DYH 2.0), also virtual, invites artists of all ages around the world to create artwork envisioning future space communities. Showcased online and at events like the Texas Eclipse Festival, Pumps & Pipes, and San Diego Comic-Con, the artworks continue to be displayed on the SAE website. Webcasts, “Artistic Exploration” with recognized Astronomical Artist, Adrianna Allen and “Living and Working in Space” with artist and retired astronaut Nicole Stott, further inspire viewers. By linking art and science, DYH 2.0 prompts a global community to imagine and build a healthier, sustainable tomorrow.
“Code Habitat Tales” was piloted in Mexico City in collaboration with Google from September to December 2024. SAE engaged 200 middle school students in person to use a coding platform to bring their DYH 2.0 art stories to life. Live webinars included a Colombian-Houstonian artist, “Space, STEAM and Sustainable Habitats” with Dr. McPhee and “Creating a Story and Character” with a Miami artist and educator alongside sessions on coding and animation. Students developed creativity and skills in research, visual art, storytelling, and coding, culminating in projects that combine animation and stories about space communities.
In its “Sensing Deep Space” Program, SAE leads, creates, and participates in multi-sensory art installations and experiences in person or virtually. These free art experiences, created by adult artists, promote knowledge and understanding, exchange of ideas, and problem solving. Sensing Deep Space: Pandora's Cluster was SAE’s premier immersive science-tech-art installation, created in collaboration with an audio-visual, generative artist and inspired by deep space telescope data. Survey results demonstrated that attendees desired to learn more about distant galaxies, space telescope data and generative art.
As part of outreach and education, Dr. Jancy McPhee, neuroscientist, presents on the value and importance of integrating the arts with science, now and in the future, and provides numerous artwork displays. Recently she presented at the Space Exploration Educators Conference, at the Greek Isles Chaniartoon - International Comic & Animation Festival, was keynote speaker at Pumps and Pipes in Houston, and presented and was honored at FenCon SciFi Convention in Dallas.
