The NASA Art Program

Here is a link. A very interesting link.
http://www.nasa.gov/externalflash/NASAart_book/

What many...most people don't know is that NASA administrator James Webb instituted the NASA art program in the very early day of the nascent space agency. Mr. Webb had the foresight to see not only how significant the space program would be to the country's science and defense, but also how much it would and could influence our society and culture. Professional artists were invited to NASA facilities and to launches, and they produced magnificent art work, which the majority of the public has never seen or is even aware of the existence. This link takes you to a site that has a very, very small sampling of this wonderful and resplendent treasure. As evocative and beautiful as these selections are, it is only a peek at the rich heritage that art has left NASA, giving the artist's unique interpretation of that which is reported so precisely and mundanely in the news media. In October 2008 a book will hit the stands which is entitled, "NASA/Art: 50 Years of Exploration". It's a 176 page presentation of the history of the NASA art program accompanied by a larger look at the collection. No, this is not a commercial for the book, or even for NASA. This is a desire to share the unseen human soul of NASA and of the men and women who have plumbed the depths of it and of their own souls to find the place where humanity, art and science meet.