Artist ~ Astronaut ~ Earthling

Nicole is an Artist and Astronaut who creatively combines the awe and wonder of her spaceflight experience with her artwork to inspire everyone’s appreciation of our role as crewmates here on spaceship Earth.  She has explored from the heights of outer space to the depths of our oceans.  In awe of what she experienced from these special vantage points, she has dedicated her life to sharing the beauty of Earth from space with others.  She believes sharing these perspectives has the power to increase everyone’s appreciation of and obligation to care for our home planet and each other.

A NASA Astronaut, her experience includes two spaceflights and 104 days spent living and working in space on both the Space Shuttle and the International Space Station.  A personal highlight of Nicole’s spaceflight was painting the first watercolor in space.  

Nicole is also an Aquanaut, who along with her NEEMO9 crew, lived and worked during an 18-day and longest saturation mission to date on the Aquarius undersea habitat.

An Artist, now retired from NASA, Nicole creatively combines the awe and wonder of her spaceflight experience and artwork to inspire everyone’s appreciation of our role as crewmates here on spaceship Earth and creative thinking about solutions to our planetary challenges, to raise awareness of the surprising interplay between science and art, and to promote the amazing work being done every day in space to improve life right here on Earth.  

She is the founder of the Space For Art Foundation, and co-founder of Constellation.

The Artistic Astronaut

Space for Art Foundation

Constellation

IG @astro_nicole

Keynote Title: eARTh from space

Date: Friday, February 15th / Time: 6:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.
Location: Loosemore Auditorium, Pew Campus, GVSU / Cost: Free

Saturday morning talk: Space for Everyone

Date: Saturday, February 16th / Time: 11 a.m.
Location: Grand Rapids Public Museum / Cost: $2/ticket

J Brett Grill is a sculptor of memorials, monuments, and portraits. In 2018 he installed an over life-size bronze sculpture of Roger B. Chaffee in Grand Rapids, MI. Brett earned a Bachelor’s degree in sculpture from the University of Michigan in 2001 and an MFA in painting at the New York Academy of Art in 2003, both with honors. Brett worked as an Associate Professor of Art and Director of Graduate Studies at the University of Missouri for 10 years and now maintains a studio in Grand Rapids, MI. He has lectured on his own work and historical artistic techniques throughout the Midwest. He has exhibited at various galleries and museums across the nation including Chicago and New York.

Brett has sculpted presidents, politicians, athletes, coaches, and other leaders. His commissioned sculptures can be found in public and private collections across the nation including the University of Kentucky; the University of Michigan; Grand Valley State University; Albion College; the New Hampshire State Library; the USS Gerald R. Ford; the city of Grand Rapids, MI; the city of Charlotte, NC; and the National Statuary Hall Collection in Washington D.C. .

Keynote Title: Remembering the Future

Date: Friday, February 15th / Time: 11 a.m. to 12 p.m.
Location: Loosemore Auditorium, Pew Campus, GVSU / Cost: Free

More information on J Brett Grill