About Space Messengers
Space Messengers is an immersive mixed reality (MR) installation with VR experiences and an international youth exchange program created in partnership with the U.S Embassy of Portugal and the U.S. Consulate General of Guadalajara. A virtual workshop connects middle/high school classrooms in New Mexico, USA with classrooms in Lisbon, Portugal and Guadalajara, Mexico (more embassies/countries to be added) via an interdisciplinary space-themed curriculum. Students contribute their ‘space messages’ which become part of the final Space Messengers installation. The Space Messengers mission is to develop our artistic, scientific and humanistic literacy and expand our identity as planetary citizens. Space Messengers is a multi-artist collaboration created in 2020/21 during the pandemic and is now touring to festivals around the world, evolving with new interactive experiences as it travels. The STEMarts Apprenticeship and STEMarts Ambassador programs create opportunities for youth leaders throughout New Mexico and around the world to become part of the Space Messengers project. To bring Space Messengers to your city and country contact us at: stemartslab@gmail.com
What we Learn
In this sci-art project we learn about the universe and our relationship to earth and space from science experts in the fields of particle physics, astrophysics and space policy. We also hear from artists, indigenous cultural specialists and philosophers of science to explore how science, art, humanities and philosophy can help us expand our understanding and to communicate what we learn through creative expression. Through this experience we become creative planetary citizens, and more informed caretakers of the interplanetary universe that is our home. We are aligned with the mission of the United Nations Office of Outer Space Affairs (UNOOSA) which works to promote international cooperation in the peaceful use and exploration of space, and in the utilization of space science and technology for sustainable economic and social development.
Culminating Installation
The culminating Space Messengers installation projects the student's 'space messages' and silhouettes communicating the science they learned and sharing their thoughts and wishes for a sustainable interplanetary future. Global audiences can also see a livestream and send messages which appear in the projection wall in real time via the Space Messengers website. Space Messengers will travel to festivals around the world carrying the space messages of participating youth from each venue. The first installation connected a classroom in Taos, NM with a classroom in Oeiras Portugal and launched at the Festival Internacional de Ciencia in Oeiras, Portugal in October 2021. In 2022, the Santa Fe Indian School and the New Mexico School of the Arts in Santa Fe, New Mexico connected with Preparatoria#5 , Universidad de Guadalajara, Mexico. Follow the StoryMap for the next live event, visit the Space Messengers photo gallery, or contact us to bring Space Messengers to your school or city.
STEMarts Metaverse
Space Messengers is projected live on a building or wall at the festival and live streamed into our new STEMarts Metaverse, a safe and private virtual reality platform that hosts interactive virtual reality experiences. As Space Messengers travels to festivals around the world we create a 3D model from each venue allowing the students to experience current and past installations.
To facilitate the VR experience of Space Messengers and make it accessible to underserved communities we create the Global VR Youth Day in conjunction with the live festivals. We install pop-up STEMarts VR Stations at participating schools and rural/tribal community spaces throughout Northern New Mexico and in our partner countries as part of the STEMarts International exchange program. We plan to register an estimated 300-500 students throughout the day to engage with the virtualized Space Messengers installation while socializing with students from around New Mexico and the world.
