{"id":1401,"date":"2026-06-05T12:11:59","date_gmt":"2026-06-05T04:11:59","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/pietronigro.com\/?page_id=1401"},"modified":"2026-06-15T00:26:21","modified_gmt":"2026-06-14T16:26:21","slug":"zero-gravity-arts-consortium","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/pietronigro.com\/?page_id=1401","title":{"rendered":"Zero Gravity Arts Consortium"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n

Frank Pietronigro is Co-Founder and Chief Visionary Office of The Zero Gravity Arts Consortium (ZGAC)<\/p>\n

ZGAC Logo Designer: April Evans<\/h5>\n

Beyond individual creation, Frank Pietronigro demonstrated a unique commitment to institutionalizing the nascent field of space art. He co-founded and served as Chief Visionary Officer of the Zero Gravity Arts Consortium (ZGAC). This organization was specifically dedicated to fostering the intersection of art and space, providing a crucial platform for collaboration, research, and exhibition in this emerging discipline.<\/span><\/p>\n

MISSION<\/h2>\n

Zero Gravity Arts Consortium (ZGAC) is an international space arts organization dedicated to fostering greater access for artists to space flight technology and zero gravity space through the creation of international partnerships with space agencies, space industry entrepreneurs, arts and science organizations and leading universities.\u00a0<\/p>\n

ZGAC is the first organization of its kind, based in the United States, that is facilitating parabolic flight projects that will help in the international effort to set the stage for teams of artists to have permanent access to space transportation systems including the International Space Station.<\/p>\n

ZGAC supports arts, humanities and culture in space education, international outreach and conference programs that are being organized as a way for artists, from all over the globe, to affiliate with us and experience the possibilities of collaborating with space flight technologists.<\/p>\n

The organization was Co-Founded in 1999 by Laura Knott, Lorelei Lisowsky and Frank Pietronigro.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>https:\/\/nss.org\/ad-astra-the-magazine-of-the-national-space-society\/<\/a><\/h5>\n

His curatorial work, such as the ZGAC STEAM SCREEN<\/span><\/a> Arts in Space Exploration Documentary Program at Yuri’s Night Bay Area, brought the work of other space artists to a wider audience, as highlighted in WIRED<\/i> magazine’s “NASA Goes to Burning Man: A Yuri\u2019s Night Gallery”<\/span><\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n

This commitment signifies a transition from individual creator to field builder. While it is one thing to create a groundbreaking artwork, it is another entirely to dedicate oneself to co-founding and leading an organization explicitly dedicated to “fostering the intersection of art and space”.\u00a0 He did all of this as he continued to teach video production, motion graphic design and Adobe programs including: AfterEffects, Premiere, Photoshop, Illustrator and Media Encoder.<\/span><\/p>\n

This demonstrates a strategic vision that extends far beyond personal artistic output. Most artists are primarily focused on their own creative practice and exhibition. Pietronigro, however, took on the entrepreneurial and administrative burden of building an institutional framework for an entire emerging field. This commitment to community building and field development\u2014creating a platform for other artists and researchers in space art\u2014is a rare and significant differentiator, demonstrating a legacy of collective impact rather than solely individual achievement.<\/span><\/p>\n

ZGAC PROGRAMS<\/h1>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Details on each of the following programs are offered below.<\/strong><\/h4>\n

ZGAC AFFILIATE PROGRAMS<\/strong><\/h2>\n

LEONARDO DA VINCI SPACE ART AWARDS<\/strong><\/h3>\n

\"ZGAC<\/p>\n

ZGAC was instrumental in establishing and administering a series of international awards created In honor of the great artist and scientist whose visions of flight inhabits our minds and whose first observations of light, reflected from the Moon, gave reverberant and deep-space consciousness to us.\u00a0 These awards were instituted in 2005 during the Space Art Track of the 25th International Space Development Conference (ISDC), held in Los Angeles, California.\u00a0 ISDC was Co-Sponsored by the National Space Society and the Planetary Society and the awards are extended in collaboration with ISDC, the STUDIO for Creative Inquiry at the College of Fine Arts, Carnegie Mellon University and the Zero Gravity Arts Consortium.<\/p>\n

SPACE ART DEVELOPMENT FUND<\/h3>\n

Lowry Burgess, Frank Pietronigro, and George Whitesides, Executive Director of the National Space Society, established<\/b> this fund in 2006 as a part of the 25th International Space Development Conference (ISDC), which was<\/b> co-sponsored by the National Space Society and the Planetary Society. The creation of the \u201dSpace Arts Development Fund\u201d formed<\/b> a highly credible, international resource for fundraising within the Arts in Space community itself, among space enthusiasts, related foundations, non-profit sources, as well as corporate and private donors. Based on the concept generated from a set of recommendations from the Space Arts Conference held at Carnegie Mellon University’s West Coast Campus at N<\/span>ASA Ames Research Center in Mountain View, CA <\/span>in 2005, the \u201cSpace Arts Development Fund\u201d was<\/b> created to help develop the Arts, Humanities, and Culture in Space Community worldwide, across institutional, national, and regional limitations.<\/p>\n

Also, by this action, the International Space Development Conference became<\/b> a standard-setting \u2018venue of record\u2019 for the presentation of the Space Arts, as well as a hospitable environment for furthering the dialogue of the global Arts, Humanities, and Culture in Space Community. The purpose of the Space Arts Development Fund was<\/b> to support space artists and their projects (both as individuals and within appropriate institutions), residencies, collaborations, and exciting interdisciplinary projects. It funded<\/b> both the basic \u2018creation and research\u2019 as well as the exhibition and presentation in appropriate venues, including TV or radio broadcasts that could<\/b> develop broader awareness of Space Art activities with the general public, as well as the much-needed scholarship and publication in the field. Supporters of ZGAC enthusiastically contributed<\/b> support in various amounts, knowing that the activities of this Space Art Development Fund would<\/b> energize and strengthen the space art and humanities in space community as a whole. This fund no longer existed<\/b> as of 2026.<\/p>\n

PAST ZGAC AFFILIATE INSTITUTIONS\u00a0<\/strong><\/h3>\n

The Foundation For Space Exploration<\/p>\n

National Space Society<\/p>\n

STUDIO for Creative Inquiry, College of Fine Arts, Carnegie Mellon University<\/p>\n

Zero Gravity Corporation<\/p>\n

PAST ZGAC BOARD OF DIRECTORS<\/h3>\n

Bob Bagar, President of Bagar Communications, Inc., Orlando, FL<\/p>\n

Lowry Burgess, Former Dean and Professor, College of Fine Arts, Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, PA<\/p>\n

Lorelei Lisowsky, ZeroG Arts Lab, United Kingdom<\/p>\n

Marko Peljhan, Director Projekt Atol Flight Operations, Professor Interdisciplinary Studies, University of California, Santa Barbara, CA<\/p>\n

Frank Pietronigro, Interdisciplinary Artist, Founder, LuminaVision Innovation Labs, ZGAC Chief Visionary Officer, San Francisco, CA<\/p>\n

Jean-Luc Soret, President, Space Art One, Space Arts Curators, Paris, France<\/p>\n

Celestine Star, Golden Star Productions, San Rafael, CA<\/p>\n

\"Frank<\/p>\n

Frank Pietronigro and Celestine Star, Artronauts and I See The Earth Video<\/a> Creators<\/h5>\n

\u00a0PAST ZGAC ADVISORY COMMITTEE MEMBERS<\/h3>\n

James D. Burke, International Space University, Sierra Madre, CA<\/p>\n

Susan Collins, Director, Tate In Space (Online Programming), London, United Kingdom<\/p>\n

Samuel Coniglio, IV, Space Frontier Foundation Board of Director, Los Angeles, CA<\/p>\n

Burke Fort, Burke Fort, President of the Foundation For Space Exploration and the Director of the Texas Space Grant Consortium, University of Texas, Center For Space Research, Austin, TX<\/p>\n

Laura Knott, Director and Producer, Worldwide Simultaneous Dance; past Research Fellow, Center for Advanced Visual Studies, MIT<\/p>\n

Richard Lowenberg, Founder, Rad Lab, Davis, CA<\/p>\n

Rob LaFrenais, The Arts Catalyst, London, United Kingdom<\/p>\n

Roger Malina, Annick Bureaud, Richard Clar, Leonardo Space Arts Working Group, Paris, France, and Leonardo: The Publication of the International Society of Arts, Science and Technology, Berkeley, CA<\/p>\n

Margaret Myers, Former Associate Director, STUDIO For Creative Inquiry, College of Fine Arts, Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, PA<\/p>\n

Nicola Triscott, The Arts Catalyst, London, United Kingdom<\/p>\n

Mike Wiskerchen, the California Space Grant Consortium, University of California at San Diego, CA<\/p>\n

George Whitesides, Former Executive Director, National Space Society, Washington, D.C.<\/p>\n

Arthur Woods, the OURS Foundation, Basel, Switzerland<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

PAST ZGAC AMBASSADORS<\/h3>\n

ZGAC Ambassadors are affiliated with institutions that are located all over the world.\u00a0 ZGAC Ambassadors advocate on behalf of ZGAC at their local level and help distribute ZGAC program.\u00a0\u00a0 Ambassador affiliate institutions include:<\/p>\n

The Arts Catalyst, London, United Kingdom<\/p>\n

California Space Grant Consortium, United States<\/p>\n

ECHO: Center for Experimentation and Development in Multimedia Technologies, Canada<\/p>\n

Exequo, the Open Broadcast Network, London, United Kingdom<\/p>\n

European Space Agency’s Hubble Office<\/p>\n

Foundation for Space Exploration, United States<\/p>\n

General Orbital Corporation, United States<\/p>\n

Golden Star Productions, United States<\/strong><\/h4>\n

Goianesia Communities, Brazil<\/strong><\/h4>\n

Hunter College, Department of Film and Media, United States<\/p>\n

International Association of Astronomical Artists<\/p>\n

ItauLab – Itau Cultural Institute, Sao Paulo, Brazil<\/strong><\/h4>\n

Itau Cultural, Brazil<\/p>\n

Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency, Space Environment Utilization Center, Utilization Planning and Integration Office, Japan<\/p>\n

Lateq\/UnB \u2013 Laboratory of Applied Chemistry from the University of Brasilia, Brazil<\/p>\n

Leonardo \/ OLATS, France<\/p>\n

Leonardo Space Art Working Group<\/p>\n

Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Department of Aeronautics and Astronautics, United States<\/p>\n

Maison d\u2019Ailleurs, Switzerland<\/p>\n

National Space Society<\/p>\n

New York University, Interactive Telecommunications Program, United States<\/p>\n

Philcorp, United States<\/p>\n

Rijksakademie van beeldende junsten, Netherlands<\/p>\n

San Francisco Art Institute, Center for Art+Science, United States
Skedio, Brazil<\/p>\n

Texas Space Grant Consortium, University of Texas Center For Space Research<\/p>\n

University of California Santa Barbara Media Arts and Technology Department, United States<\/p>\n

University of South Carolina, Art Department, United States<\/p>\n

University of Plymouth, School of Computing, Communications and Electronics<\/p>\n

Space Art One, France<\/p>\n

Zavod Projekt Atol Institute, Slovenia<\/p>\n

Zero G Arts Lab, United Kingdom<\/p>\n

ZGAC PROGRAMS<\/h1>\n

ZGAC: ARTISTS INTO SPACE PROGRAM<\/h2>\n

A pivotal ZGAC program creates direct advocacy work within and between international space agencies, space industry networks, corporations, arts organizations and artists to ensure the inclusion of space exploration projects that relate to studies in the arts, humanities and culture access to space.\u00a0 ZGAC advocates to directly impact 0the policies and missions of these organizations to ensure that arts, humanities and culture are the next steps in space exploration.\u00a0 ZGACs\u2019 Artists Into Space Program fosters international activities and dialogue, that will set the stage for teams of artists to gain permanent access to space transportation systems, including the International Space Station, and to ensure that art, humanities and cultural projects will be included in upcoming Moon, Mars and other long-term space exploration programs.<\/p>\n

ZGAC: PARABOLIC FLIGHT PROGRAM FOR ARTISTS<\/h2>\n

Among ZGAC\u2019s cornerstone projects are the creation of parabolic flights taking place at various locations around the globe, during which artists will execute new works art works in the \u2018alternating gravity environment\u2019 of parabolic flight.\u00a0 This ZGAC program is produced in collaboration with parabolic flight service provider, Zero Gravity Corporation.\u00a0 Artists develop unique proposals and are then guided in the thematic and technical evolution of their projects in collaboration with a team of engineers, scientists, historians, curators and other artists flying on each particular flight.\u00a0 Each \u2018Flight Team\u2019 develops a name for the flight as well as evolves arching themes that guide each artist while considering their individual creative responses to microgravity space.\u00a0Truly an interdisciplinary collaboration, the results foster advances in interactive technology and communications including DataFlux, as described below.<\/p>\n

Flight flown to date include:<\/p>\n