S26-0319P, Space Art from the National Air and Space Museum

(This class was re-scheduled from our Fall 2025 Program)
Did you know that the Smithsonian’s National Air and Space Museum has an art collection? Curator Carolyn Russo will present the history of space exploration seen in this collection from the late nineteenth century to the present. She will introduce Étienne Léopold Trouvelot’s late 1800s astronomical observations, Chesley Bonestell’s “scientific” space art illustrations for Collier’s, Norman Rockwell’s paintings for Look magazine at NASA, and the work of other artists including Robert Rauschenberg and Alma Thomas. She will also consider works from these artists and others as agents of public persuasion, documentation, and reflection of a national space program.

Presenter: Carolyn Russo
Carolyn Russo is a museum specialist and curator of the art collection at the Smithsonian’s National Air and Space Museum in Washington, D.C. She is leading the renovation and development of new art exhibits for the museum’s Flight and the Arts Center, to reopen in 2026. Carolyn has curated numerous art exhibitions and authored four books, most recently a book on American artist Robert Rauschenberg, which was published by Smithsonian Books in October 2025. Prior to her appointment as art curator, she held the position of staff photographer at the museum. She has a bachelor’s fine art degree in photography from the Massachusetts College of Art and Design in Boston and a master’s degree in art history from American University in Washington, D.C.

LLI Coordinator: Mike Ahern