2020 Prospectus

To download a PDF version of this prospectus, click here.

The Art of Planetary Science 2020: A Virtual Odyssey

Submissions are now open for the annual Art of Planetary Science show at University of Arizona’s Lunar and Planetary Laboratory (LPL). The Art of Planetary Science (TAPS) is an exhibition of art—created from and inspired by the solar system and the scientific data with which we explore it.  All types and levels of artists and scientists are encouraged to submit to the show!

This year, due to the novel coronavirus (COVID-19), the Art of Planetary Science will migrate to an online/virtual format for both display of artwork and for the public engagement event weekend of September 25-27, 2020. 

We seek visual, audio, and written artwork from the following categories*:

Data Art: Artwork created from scientific research or scientific data for the purpose of planetary science or astrophysics. This includes: quantitative visualizations of scientific information, ideas, or equations; images or graphics created for the purpose of scientific research; and images or visualizations related to the use or operation of scientific or technical instruments. If the data used for the art is not solely the artist’s creation, the source of the data must be cited in the description of the piece.

Fine Art: Artwork created primarily for the sake of beauty, inspiration, and artistic self-expression. Artwork should be thematically linked to space, the solar system, astronomy, or related scientific fields. This includes (but is not limited to) painting, drawings, sculpture, astrophotography, music, poetry and film.

Optional Theme–Moon Art: For both Fine and Data Art, a themed-category this year will be dedicated to artwork created from inspirations about moons.  Artwork must be about a moon or include a moon in some capacity (abstract or otherwise; not limited to Earth's Moon). The artwork must still be categorized as either Data Art or Fine Art. 

*We reserve the right to change the category of any submitted piece at our discretion.

Submit Artwork:

• You may submit up to 3 pieces of art by completing a separate submission form for each. 
• To submit your artwork, please fill out the online submission form available on our website.
• Submit your art on our website in one of our preferred file types: JPG, JPEG, PNG, TIF, PDF, AVI, MP3, MOV.  
• The maximum file size accepted is 300 MB. 
  • If your art is insufficiently represented at file sizes less than 300 MB (e.g., a 10 minute HD video), please contact us at art@lpl.arizona.edu to make arrangements to upload a larger file size. 
  • If your image or file is determined to be of insufficient resolution or quality (too small, pixelated, etc.) by us, it may be rejected. 
• Shortly after the close of submissions (31 August 2020) we will notify all artists via email if their artwork has been selected for inclusion. Artists can expect a confirmation of inclusion no later than 7 September 2020.
• If your artwork is selected for the exhibition, the image uploaded upon form submission will be used in our virtual gallery. We encourage you to upload a high-quality image or other file of the finished piece when submitting your artwork.
• Art will remain on our website after the event weekend until the end of October 2020.

Awards and Prizes: 

• The show will be juried by professionals from both art and scientific fields. All awards, except People’s Choice, will be determined by these professionals. People’s Choice will be determined by votes from the public.
• Awards will be issued to 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place winners in Fine Art, Data Art, and Moon Art. 
• One People’s Choice winner will be chosen from all submitted artworks.
• All participants will be named Lunar & Planetary Laboratory Participating Artists and featured on our website.

Sale of Artwork: 

You may choose to list your artwork for sale at the event, however LPL cannot facilitate business transactions. We will provide space on the virtual gallery to list your artwork for sale, if desired. Interested buyers will be responsible for initiating contact with you to make a purchase. If you make a sale as a result of this event, we kindly suggest you donate 10–20% of the proceeds to LPL to help sustain future Art of Planetary Science events. This donation is not required.

Important Dates: All times are in Mountain Standard Time (MST).