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Astro-Artist of the Month - September 2013: Helen Schell

For 6 years, I have worked on art projects inspired by space exploration and phenomena of the cosmos. This involves collaborating with scientists and often takes the form of installations and projects called laboratories. These are created for unusual sites under the auspices of Space Agency. This work started in 2007 whilst doing an MA in Glass at Sunderland University in the north east of England. Since then, I collaborated with scientists in the field of astrophysics and cosmology including doing a residency in 2010 at Durham University's Ogden Centre for Fundamental Physics, where I created the components for a Space-Time Laboratory, making quasi contraptions, artefacts and souvenirs from imagined 'off world travels'. These Space Agency artworks are often ironic and humorous. This exciting residency afforded me the opportunity to meet space shuttle astronauts and get them to draw pictures. I also visited the UK Dark Matter Laboratory in Boulby mine. Since then, I have participated in, and initiated space themed projects. I am a STEM Ambassador and this year I have become a Space Ambassador for ESERO-UK. Over the last year, I have been working a project examining ideas about human colonisation of space, and in particular the Moon – Make It to the Moon. This was created whilst Maker in Residence at the Centre for Life. The project has included residencies, exhibitions, and children's workshops, and went to the Science Museum in London. As well as the education work, I created a series of artworks, Moon-shot: First Woman on the Moon, which examines... Read More..