Marketing the 2009 Space Settlement Calendar

Dear Reader(s):

I have no idea how many people actually read this blog, but I'll take a leap of faith and guess that there are at least two. Given that assumption, as chairman of the National Space Society's 2009 Space Settlement Calendar, I ask for your help in providing art or finding/recruiting space-minded artists who might be able to provide vivid, believable images of human beings living on the Moon, Mars, asteroids, or in free orbit sometime in our future. If you've never done this type of work before, take a look at last year's entries for an example of what we accepted. I'd suggest that you try to buy the 2008 calendar, but we've sold out already, and are unable to procure more from the publisher. I own a couple personally, however, and can vouch personally for the quality of the paper and the printing. In fact, I plan to give several away as Christmas gifts this year.

Art helps make the space future believable, much like great movements need a theme song ("La Marseilleaise" anyone?). The National Space Society is not just about NASA's "Vision for Space Exploration." We want to see average, non-degreed people living, working, and raising families out in other parts of the solar system. We expect that Earth will need the energy and material resources of space in the not-too-distant future, and obtaining those resources will require a fully functioning economy, infrastructure, and society beyond the basics of fuel, air, water, and food. We will take our cultures with us: clothing, music, religion, and art. We will adapt them to conditions "out there" and take new inspiration from what we see, experience, and learn. The function of the art contest, as originally designed, was to give people a sense of that dynamic and adventurous future. I look forward to seeing what the artists come up with: I'm just the writing guy.

Thanks. We now return you to your regularly scheduled foolishness.

P.S. I almost forgot! We're going to be extending the art submission deadline to January 11, 2008, so no one will have to seriously impinge on their vacation time. The scheduled submission date on my advertising image will be updated shortly. Thanks again.

/b