Welcome Artrain USA
and
Artistry of Space

 

Saturday, February 23, 2002
9:45 a.m. -- Opening Ceremony
10 a.m. to 5 p.m. -- Public Visitation

Sunday, February 24, 2002
10 a.m. to 5 p.m. -- Public Visitation
2 p.m. to 4 p.m. -- Exhibition of Children's Artwork
and Reception
Ada Arts and Heritage Center, 14th and Rennie


The traveling museum on a train will be parked
at 204 N. Townsend during its visit to Ada.
Everyone is invited to view the exhibit and watch artists at work.

Admission is free.

 

A vast array of artwork about space is included in this exhibit.
Some examples include:

At left: Henry Casselli, When Thoughts Turn Inward, NASA Art Program, watercolor on paper, 1982.

This painting communicates the introspective sensitivity of astronaut John Y oung during suit-up for Columbia's launch on April 12, 1981. Young, sitting alone in his spacesuit, bows his head, deep in private thought. A muted color palette contributes to the quiet mood and personal moment captured by Casselli's portraiture.
At right: Attila Hejja, The Light Ship, NASA Art Program, oil on masonite, 1984.

Hejja portrays the first night launch of the Space Shuttle Challenger on August 30, 1983, in the grand style of American landscape painting, but from a dramatic aerial-view perspective. Kennedy Space Center is spread out below the fiery column of a lifting shuttle. Vapor clouds obscure some of the landscape, while other portions of it are lit by the rocket's trail.

At left: Andy Warhol, "Moonwalk" copywrite 1999 Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts/Ronald Feldman Arts/ARS, NY.

The famous image of astronaut Buzz Aldrin standing on the Moon has become an icon of popular culture. The American hero with the United States flag became material for Andy Warhol's silkscreen series of nationally known images printed in vibrant colors. Here his use of neon pink and orange evokes the poster-like colors of the 1970s.
At right: Robert McCall, Splashdown, NASA Art Program, color lithograph on paper.

This selection from the Apollo Story Lithograph Series by Robert McCall highlights the journey made by Apollo 11 astronauts Neil A. Armstrong, Edwin E. Aldrin and Michael Collins. Brightly striped parachutes over the Pacific Ocean herald the arrival home of the astronauts in Splashdown.


The Details

Artrain USA, the nation’s only traveling art museum on a train, is bringing Artistry of Space, featuring artworks from NASA and the National Air and Space Museum art collections, to Ada. The event is hosted by the Ada Arts and Humanities Council (with financial assistance of the Oklahoma Arts Council).

The Artistry of Space national tour is sponsored by DaimlerChrysler. Transportation for Artrain USA is provided by the nation's railroads with transportation to Ada provided by Union Pacific, Kiamichi Railroad and Burlington Northern and Santa Fe.

Several local supporters have provided additional help.These include, to date, Ada Artists Association, Ada Arts and Heritage Center, Ada City Schools, Ada Elks Lodge, Ada Rotary Club, Bandana’s, Chaprell Dodge, Citizen’s Bank, City of Ada, Clark Oil Co., Dr. Kevin and Jennifer Cunningham, East Central University, ECU Football Program, First National Bank and Trust Co., Gasoline Alley, Holiday Inn, Nick and Nancy Cheper, OG&E, Oklahoma Optical, Papa Gjorgjo’s, Pioneer Rental of Shawnee, Polo’s, St. Joseph Catholic Church and Wal-Mart.

Admission to Artrain USA is free; donations are encouraged. Train cars are handicapped accessible.

“I’m very excited that Artrain USA is coming to Ada in late February,” said Rosemarie Benya, member of the Ada Arts and Humanities Council board and chairperson in charge of the event. “I have dreamed of bringing Artrain USA to Ada for a long time and now I see my dream coming true.”

Artistry of Space is a collection of paintings, drawings, prints and sketches that reflect the excitement and energy of space exploration. Since the inception of NASA’s Art Program in 1962, NASA has invited more than 250 American artists to be involved in the U.S. space programs and to interpret space flight through art. In a creative melding of art and space, the artists, responding to space exploration on emotional and spiritual levels, documented the work of engineers, astronauts, and scientists. From the excitement of the initial effort to put a man on the moon to recent endeavors such as the Mars Pathfinder mission and the Hubble Space Telescope, artists including Peter Max, Robert McCall, Robert Rauschenberg, Norman Rockwell, Andy Warhol and James Wyeth have captured the spirit of space exploration.

“Artrain USA is about touching lives and opening doors for people and communities. For some children and adults, it’s the first time they have had the experience of visiting an art museum,” said Debra Polich, president and CEO of Artrain USA. “We are so pleased that this program, that has introduced so many young people to the arts and brought so many communities together through the arts, continues to thrive.”

Artrain USA’s mission is to enhance lives and build communities through the arts.Artrain USA fulfills its mission by bringing visual art exhibitions and programs directly to communities that have limited access to museums or collections. As a powerful catalyst, Artrain USA sparks the formation of local and regional arts councils, bolsters art education programs and community pride and spurs downtown and depot renovations. Artrain USA has traveled to 44 states and the District of Columbia, delighting more than 2.78 million visitors in more than 675 communities since its first stop in 1971.

Visitors are invited to tour the gallery, take part in an interactive program, visit the gift shop and view Artrain USA’s resident artist and local community artists demonstrating their skills. Designed with the “newcomer” in mind, but with the sophistication that an experienced museum patron can also appreciate, Artistry of Space is sure to be entertaining and informative to visitors of all ages.