Clark to turn science into art

Clark Magnet High School Robotic Team students are used to working with Jet Propulsion Laboratory employees. Engineers that help create the spacecraft that travel the universe volunteer their time and talents as mentors for the team’s annual FIRST [For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology] competition. Recently, the team was treated to a tour of the Mars Exploration program at JPL not only for robotic inspiration, but to discover their artistic muse.

“This group is to create portraits of JPL and Mars [engineers and scientists],” said artist Ellen Griesedieck. “All students can be creative.”

Griesedieck is a well-known artist whose murals and paintings hang in institutions like the New York Times, the Columbia Presbyterian Hospital and CBS headquarters.

And most have seen her work but not known it was hers, as she illustrates the product labels for Newman’s Own.

Many of her projects have been on a large scale, however eight years ago she had an idea for an American mural that at completion would be 125 feet wide and 45 feet high. From the beginning the mural project was ambitious but as it progressed the idea turned into more of an ideal of American ingenuity and pride, and a gathering of talent from old to the very young across the country.

Everyone from iron workers to glass blowers were chosen, then Griesedieck found students nearby to help create that specific section of the mural. JPL will fill the Space Studies section of the mural, which will focus on the Mars Exploration Rover Mission.

Griesedieck said that she was inspired to focus on the Mars rovers because of a book, “Roving Mars: Spirit, Opportunity, and the Exploration of the Red Planet,” written by Steven Squyres, principal investigator for science instruments on Mars rovers.

“When I finished the book, there were over 7,000 names and I [realized] this is why we got to Mars,” Griesedieck said. “Let’s look at what made us great.”

She added that many of the students that have been chosen in the past have had no art training, but that is what makes the creativity so fresh.

“Of course it will be different than the art from the West Virginia glass blowers,” Griesedieck said.

“It is really interesting to see how much testing and design goes into the projects,” said Antonella Wilby, a third year Clark robotic team member.