Art meets up with aerospace again at the upcoming Spark STEM Fest at Orlando Science Center. Covering both disciplines will be appearances by Nicole Stott, former astronaut and outer-space water colorist.
“You think an astronaut, you think technical, you think a scientist,” Stott said. “And yet, the majority of these people that I’ve encountered in my life also have something artsy or creative going on really, too, and we want to share that.”
Spark STEM Fest celebrates technology and innovation with hands-on experiences, live science shoes and interaction with engineers, researchers and other professionals. The event runs Saturday, Sunday and Monday at the science center.
Stott’s astronaut career included 104 days in space as a crew member on the International Space Station and Space Shuttle Discovery. She also had an artistic, anti-gravity experience with water colors on board in 2009.
“It was bizarre to see this floating ball of water that just was attracted to the brush, and then pulling the colored water off the palette,” she said. “I had to figure out how far do I pull the brush off the paper so that I can drag the floating ball of colored water along the paper to paint?”
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She had requested to bring a paint kit, but she didn’t plan out the painting session or videotape it, she said.
“It could have been such a beautiful way to explain why everything’s a little bit different when you float. … and that’s from doing the science for washing your hair, whatever it is, just moving from one place to another is just different,” Stott said.
“In reality, it’s not more difficult. It’s just different,” she said.
Stott grew up in Clearwater and now lives in St. Petersburg. She earned degrees from Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University and the University of Central Florida. She joined NASA at Kennedy Space Center as an engineer in 1988.
Stott’s post-NASA endeavours have included a book titled “Back to Earth: What Life in Space Taught Me About Our Home Planet – and Our Mission to Protect It” and being a founding director the Space for Art Foundation, which melds exploration and artistic endeavours.
One project of the foundation includes artwork by children – usually in hospitals, refugee centers, orphanages and schools – incorporated into spacesuits produced by ILC Dover, an aerospace manufacturing company. Patchwork-style examples of the suits can be seen during Spark STEM Festival.
“I honestly thought, ‘Oh, this is a one-off project. I’ll do some art with kids at the hospital, and hopefully they’ll be inspired,’ ” Stott said. “I went into that with that kind of temporary idea and it turned into something much bigger. I mean from, like, 30 minutes into that session with these kids – ‘Oh my gosh. I think I just discovered my next mission in life.’”
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At Spark STEM Fest, Stott will appear at a spacesuit open make alongside “Astronaut Wrangler” Christina Korp on Saturday afternoon, as well as at a meet and greet at the Space for Art exhibition on Sunday. On Saturday evening, Stott and Korp will have a fireside chat (hosted by Brendan Byrne of Central Florida Public Media and the “Are We There Yet?” podcast) as part of the adults-only, extra-ticket Science Night Live event.
Among the other activities within Spark are:
• Magician Jason Latimer (Science Channel’s “SciJinks”) returns to Spark as well as Science Night Live. He plans to repeat some crowd-favorite illusions plus new feats, including moving through solid objects. There is a $5 upcharge to see a Latimer show.
• Exhibitors include AdventHealth for Children, Lockheed Martin, U.S. Navy, Brevard Zoo, Minorities in Shark Science and a Disney-designed escape room adventure.
• Programs appearing multiple times include the egg drop challenge, foamsplosion demonstration, the explosive Diet Coke plus Mentos demonstration and humanoid and robot dog demonstrations.
• Also on the Science Night Live lineup, demonstrations that answer the scientific question, “Will it shatter?”
• Everyday science center exhibits, including “Mission: Astronaut” and the Fusion STEAM Gallery.
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Spark STEM Festival is included with regular science center admission, with the exception of Latimer’s shows. Science Night Live runs from 8 p.m. through 11:30 p.m. Saturday. Tickets are $25. Participants must be age 18 or older.
For tickets or more information, go to OSC.org.