Frequently Asked Questions
more info available on: artcontest.larc.nasa.govTo all prospective contestants: This contest remains open and will make awards for the lunar-centric challenge due on April 15, 2010. In addition, due to NASA's recent change of focus from a manned lunar mission to other exploration priorities, we will also accept Mars themed entries for the April 15 due date. Next fall, we expect to change the challenge of the artcontest to reflect new NASA missions.
Q. Can non-US students enter the contest?
A. Yes. International students may enter, but will not be eligible for cash prizes or student internships.
Q. Can professional artists, architects, designers, etc., enter?
A. No. The contest is for full time students only.
Q. Can high school students enter the contest?
A. Yes. High school entries will be evaluated separately from college and university entries.
Q. Can community college students enter?
A. Absolutely. Community colleges are part of our national system of higher education and students from these 2 year colleges are eligible.
Q. Where can a student get advice on whether their entry is valid for the harsh lunar environment?
A. Consult the list of resources posted on http://artcontest.larc.nasa.gov or consult your local science or engineering faculty.
Q. Can teams or individuals enter?
A. Either individual students or teams of students can enter. All entry requirements apply whether entry is from team or individual.
Q. Can more than one entry be submitted by a team or an individual?
A. An individual or team may submit more than one entry, but each entry will need to be entered as a stand-alone entry and all entry requirements must be met for each entry that is submitted. In the case of an individual that is also a member of a team, the individual cannot submit on behalf of the team. That is to say, the individual may submit an entirely different entry from the teams, but cannot submit the work of a team as if it were the work of an individual.
Q. Can non-art students enter the contest?
A. Any full time student can enter, regardless of major or area of study.
Q. Must all submissions be jpeg (.jpg) files?
A. All 2 dimensional art (sketches, drawings, paintings, etc.) needs to be converted to a jpg image by taking a digital photograph of it at the highest resolution possible. If the art is 3 D..sculpture or a model, then it needs to be photographed at high resolution and submitted as a jpg image file. Digital art can easily be converted to .jpg images. All art will first be reviewed as image files on our web site, and only winners will be contacted to request the art as it was originally created.
Video files are submitted as in you-tube formatted video; please follow the instructions on the video upload section of the artcontest web site.
Q. Are there size limitations on image files?
A. All image files for the initial entry should be submitted only as .JPG and be sized to fit on a 20 inch monitor screen. The file size (in KB or MB) will vary depending on the size of the original artwork and the media in which it was created. For judging the art, images need to fit on a monitor screen so judges can view it as a whole instead of having to look at parts of it because it is so large.
Later, if the art is selected for an award, then the image file should be submitted to the contest administrator at higher resolution so the art can be printed at the size it was created. This will vary, but should be between 150 and 300 dpi and generally be 1 MB or larger in size. When winners are chosen, we’ll need the highest resolution size possible in order to print it for exhibit. If we can print at high resolution, we will not need the original artwork to be shipped to NASA for exhibit purposes. For any questions on the submission format, please contact the contest administrator