An upcoming exhibition showcases the results of a collaboration between NASA and BFA Design and BFA Illustration at the School of Visual Arts
Poster by Minjung Lee (BFA Design). On view at “SVA + NASA: The Artemis II/Earthrise Poster Project.”
Poster by Minjung Lee (BFA Design). On view at “SVA + NASA: The Artemis II/Earthrise Poster Project.”
This September, the School of Visual Arts will launch “SVA + NASA: The Artemis II/Earthrise Poster Project” at the SVA Gramercy Gallery—a showcase of bold, imaginative posters created by BFA Design and BFA Illustration students. Developed with the NASA Office of STEM Engagement at the Goddard Institute for Space Studies, the exhibition features 24 works creatively interpreting the goals and values of NASA’s upcoming Artemis II mission, which will send four astronauts into lunar orbit—the next step toward a sustained human presence on the Moon, and, further into the future, crewed missions to Mars.
"At SVA, we believe creativity is essential to exploration, and it was a thrill to partner with NASA on a project that brings together the power of art and the wonder of science,” says SVA External Relations Executive Director Angie Wojak (BFA 1990 Media Arts), who initiated the project, which was developed and facilitated alongside BFA Design Chair Gail Anderson (BFA 1984 Media Arts), BFA Illustration Chair Viktor Koen (MFA 1992 Illustration as Visual Essay), and BFA Design faculty James Daher (BFA 2001 Graphic Design) and Laina Leckie (MFA 1993 Computer Art). “This collaboration allowed our students to engage with real-world challenges and communicate big ideas about Earth, space, and our collective future through the lens of art and design—and share their vision with the world."
Inspired in part by Earthrise—the iconic photograph of our planet seen from lunar orbit, captured by astronaut William Anders during Apollo 8 in 1968—the posters explore humanity’s place in the cosmos through themes of exploration, science, and discovery. Anders famously reflected, “We came all this way to explore the Moon, and the most important thing we discovered was the Earth.”
The project began in spring 2025 and gave students the rare chance to work directly with NASA educators, scientists, and astronauts. Following a professional-style creative brief, they crafted visual narratives on Earth science, space exploration, and the urgent role of innovation in solving global challenges. NASA’s Earth Science to Action strategy served as a guiding star, linking Artemis II’s lunar ambitions to broader goals of environmental stewardship and sustainable exploration.
“Illustrating posters is great,” Koen says. “But illustrating posters about space missions, cool hardware, and galactic visions is epic.”
In June, a jury—from climate scientists to branding experts to astronauts—selected the final 24 posters. The panel included Carolyn Hinkson-Jenkins, director of operations for BFA Comics and BFA Illustration at SVA; Allegra N. LeGrande, climate scientist at NASA’s Goddard Institute for Space Studies; Angelina Lippert, executive director and curator at Poster House; NASA astronaut K. Megan McArthur; MPS Branding Chair Debbie Millman; Matthew Pearce, lead for NASA Office of STEM Engagement at NASA’s Goddard Institute for Space Studies; and other SVA staff. The winning works spanned digital drawing, collage, illustration, and typography, showcasing the breadth of talent in both programs.
“Evaluating the creative work from this collaboration between NASA and SVA was both a joy and an honor,” Millman says. “These posters exceeded my expectations—I was impressed not only by the creative ingenuity but also by the intellectual rigor the students brought to the challenge.” Millman is no stranger to NASA collaborations herself. In 2021, she was invited to design an engraved metal plate for the exterior of the Europa Clipper, a space probe that NASA launched in October 2024 on a six-year voyage to Europa, one of Jupiter’s moons, which scientists believe is home to a large ocean beneath its icy surface. Millman called the experience “one of the most thrilling of my life.”
“The NASA project has been an absolute blast—pun intended,” Anderson says. “Our students tackled the challenge with incredible enthusiasm and creative firepower. The results were varied, thoughtful, and truly spectacular. It’s a real honor for our department and for SVA to collaborate with some of the brightest minds out there—people doing deeply important work that inspires us all.”
“SVA + NASA: The Artemis II/Earthrise Poster Project” will be on view at the SVA Gramercy Gallery, 209 East 23rd Street, from Saturday, September 6, through Saturday, September 20. A reception will be held on Wednesday, September 10, from 6:00 to 8:00pm. For more information, click here.
