When according to habit, I was contemplating the stars in a clear sky, I noticed a new and unusual star, surpassing the others in its brilliancy….There had never before been any star in that place in the sky. -Tycho Brahe

To those born near or after the Apollo 11 lunar landing in 1969, the Space Shuttle Program epitomized the ascendant glory of U.S. manned space exploration. Now, thirty years after the launch of the first space shuttle, we react with ambivalence to the retirement of these artifacts of 20th century technology. Ending manned space exploration represents a silent admission of the United States’ lessening world status and ambition. It echoes the seismic shift in potential that seems to have been brought on by concurrent economic, environmental, and geo-political crises. This confluence of disasters points to another meaning of Goodbye Space Shuttle, which is: no rescue. What new visions can alter the trajectory of this overcrowded rock?

In retrospect, the abandonment of the shuttle program may prove to be as large a milestone as its first launch. It thus seems appropriate to dedicate an exhibition to the moment. Artists participating in this late summer homage include:

Taylor Baldwin, John Bianchi, Matthew Capezzuto, Jane Corrigan, Bill Donovan, Jen Durbin, Sue Havens, Alexis Knowlton, Andy Lane, Beth Livensperger, Sakura Maku, Brian Maller, Vasken Mardikian, Jason Mones, Wilfredo Ortega, Jen Schwarting, John Silvis, Lee Vanderpool, Peonia Vázquez-D’Amico, Letha Wilson