Sphere Entertainment Co. announce the inaugural Sphere XO Student Design Challenge partnership with the greater Las Vegas community that for the very first time, gives select members of the general public the opportunity to see their art featured on the Exosphere.
The Sphere XO Student Design Challenge is a collaboration between Sphere and the Clark County School District (CCSD) and University of Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV) that will provide more than 100,000 Clark County-based students with an unprecedented opportunity to create art for the Exosphere. Eight student winners ranging from elementary school through college will be chosen by a combination of voting by the general public on thesphere.com and selected by professional artists who have designed for the Exosphere, including Refik Anadol and Michela Picchi.
The Sphere XO Student Design Challenge, which will kick off this month, will be themed around the 4th of July, with winning students’ artwork debuting on the Exosphere on July 4, 2024, which will also mark the one-year anniversary of the first illumination of the Exosphere. In addition, winning high school and UNLV students will receive a $10,000 educational scholarship from Sphere. Winning elementary and middle school students will earn a $10,000 donation from Sphere for their school’s art program to further art education in public schools, as well as tickets for their entire school to attend The Sphere Experience this Fall.
“Sphere is more than a venue – it is a new entertainment medium uniting art and science to broaden our understanding of what’s possible through artistic and technological innovation,” said Jim Dolan, Executive Chairman and CEO, Sphere Entertainment. “Sphere XO Student Design Challenge is an opportunity for us to engage Las Vegas students by introducing them to Sphere’s technology, and meaningfully give back to the community by inspiring its future.”
“I have a deep understanding and appreciation for the determination required by young artists who hope to break into the art world – this is an excellent opportunity to showcase their work to a global audience,” said Refik Anadol, world-renowned digital artist. “I am honoured to participate and support these students at the beginning of their journey toward what I hope will be productive careers in the arts.” “The intersection of art and technology is a consistent throughline in our curriculum and a crucial priority for students pursuing careers in these rapidly evolving industries,” said Nancy Uscher, Dean of UNLV College of Fine Arts. “Sphere serves as a real-world example of innovation in art, and we’re thrilled that our student body has the chance to become active participants in this cultural achievement.”
A total of 120 digitized submissions (30 each from elementary school, middle school, high school and UNLV) will be viewable on thesphere.com in late May for public voting. Additional information about the voting process, including the specific dates, will be announced at a later date. The selection process to choose eight total winners who will have their artwork displayed on the Exosphere on July 4, 2024 will be as follows: Four winners, one each from elementary, middle, high school and UNLV, will be chosen by the general public, who will have the opportunity to vote at thesphere.com Four winners, one each from elementary, middle, high school and UNLV, will be chosen by artists including Anadol and Picchi. Ultimately, two elementary school students, two middle school students, two high school students and two UNLV students will win and see their work displayed on the Exosphere.
