Huntsville, AL – What happens when imagination meets innovation? The public can discover exactly that when they explore the latest exhibit at the Arts Huntsville Gallery @ the VBC. Arts Huntsville and Marshall Space Flight Center have partnered to bring the community a first look at original artwork by NASA Artists. The exhibit, Between Imagination and Invention: The Art of NASA in the Space Age, features more than 40 original pieces by NASA artists, many of the pieces are never-before-seen beyond NASA’s walls.

The pieces, by more than 20 artists from the 1960s through the 1990s, conceptualize the organization’s vision for space exploration vehicles and unseen planets, while others document historical events.

This exhibit is the first in Arts Huntsville’s year-long celebration of the Alabama 200 Bicentennial Celebration. The “Exploring Our Places” project will feature four gallery exhibits throughout the year showcasing the places that make Huntsville stand out in the state.

“We can think of no better way to kick off a celebration of ‘Exploring Our Places’ than to showcase the art of NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center and pieces from the U.S. Space and Rocket Center’s collection here at Arts Huntsville’s Gallery at the Von Braun Center,” said Allison Dillon-Jauken, executive director of Arts Huntsville. “These works celebrate the intersection between art and science – the place where art and invention come together to inspire its viewers to dream about the next boundaries we’ll cross in space.”

“This art collection is a representative sample the type of creative work produced by NASA resident artists in the early years of the space program,” said Brian Odom, NASA Marshall Space Flight Center historian. “The intention was to provide the public with an idea of the kinds of work being done across the space agency. Turning what was then thought of a science fiction into reality was difficult in those early years. This art was an important part of that process.”

Between Imagination and Invention: The Art of NASA in the Space Age was made possible with the support of the Alabama State Council of the Arts. The exhibit will be on display in the Von Braun Center through March 2017 and can be found between the Mark C. Smith Concert Hall and the VBC Playhouse. The gallery is free and open to the public and can be viewed during VBC hours seven days a week.

For more information about the exhibit call Arts Huntsville at (256) 519-2787 or email info@artshuntsville.org.