Craft in America

NEW EPISODES

SCIENCE & COLLECTORS

Now Streaming

on the PBS App, pbs.org/craftinamerica, and craftinamerica.org

PBS Broadcast Premiere

December 27th, 2024 at 9pm & 10pm (check local listings)

An exhibition of works by featured artists, Erik and Martin Demaine is on view

at the Craft in America Center through January 4, 2025

One of Craft in America’s newest episodes, SCIENCE, features Karen Nyberg.

SCIENCE investigates the unexpected intersection between art and the sciences, spanning technology, engineering, biology, math, and the climate emergency. Nature, space, algorithms, and more serve as inspiration for artists connecting their work to the world around them, from the Santa Clara Pueblo in New Mexico to the computer science labs of MIT to NASA. The featured artists include John Luebtow, Joan Takayama Ogawa, Karen Nyberg, Joseph and Sergio Youngblood Lugo, Erik and Martin Demaine and Chris Maynard.

Dr. Karen Nyberg is an engineer, astronaut, and artist who, through nearly thirty years of experience in human spaceflight, has gained an appreciation for the value of working within and across diverse political ideologies, cultural values, and world views to advance critical missions. Recently retired from NASA, Karen is currently pursuing interests in the areas of conservation and sustainability, fully appreciating the responsibility for innovation and technology to strive to meet those needs. During her last mission in space, Karen showcased her artistry by sewing while living on the International Space Station and sparked a worldwide quilting project to commemorate the effort.

View Karen Nyberg’s preview here.

LUNAR QUILT BLOCK CHALLENGE

Left: Karen Nyberg, Doug Hurley, First SpaceX Dragon Commander quilt, courtesy of the artist. Right: Karen Nyberg, Brownie at Grizzly Gulch quilt, courtesy of the artist

Karen Nyberg, the Kennedy Center of Performing Arts, and NASA collaborated to create a new quilt block challenge to celebrate the space program’s return to the moon. The Next Giant Leap: Lunar Quilt Block Challenge was launched as a STEM program to 7–12 graders in the United States last month. Due to the overwhelming, positive response from quilters around the country who learned about the program, applications are now open to all USA individual quilters, artists, and crafters. Information, guidelines, and application forms can be found on the Kennedy Center website.Nov 20, 2024: deadline to submit intent to participateDec 10, 2024: deadline to submit application/artwork

This initiative was launched in conjunction with the Kennedy Center’s upcoming EARTH to SPACE: Arts Breaking the Sky festival in March and April of 2025. A judging panel of astronauts and NASA and Kennedy Center executives will pick the best lunar block entry from each state. The 50 winning panels will be sewn into an official Lunar Quilt designed by Karen Nyberg.