9 minute read
FIT FOR KIDS
BLAST OFF!
The Rocketdyne J-2 rocket engine mounted to the bottom of the third stage of the Saturn V at the Saturn V Hall at the Davidson Center. schusterbauer.com / Shutterstock.com
HEAD TO THE U.S. SPACE & ROCKET CENTER IN HUNTSVILLE FOR A DAY FILLED WITH OUT-OF-THIS-WORLD FUN.
TO INFINITY AND BEYOND!
This phrase, the rallying cry of Buzz Lightyear from the movie “Toy Story,” may not be the most compelling statement ever made about space exploration — that title may best fit “A few small steps for man…” from Neil Armstrong, or “We choose to go the moon…” from President Kennedy — yet it’s a perfectly appropriate reaction to the impression made by the U.S. Space & Rocket Center in Huntsville.
As you marvel at the size and scope of the exhibits, you get how the concept of infinity most often used by the average guy or gal — just too much to grasp — applies. The Space and Rocket center is almost too much to take in. As a Smithsonian Affiliate and the Official Visitor Center for NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center, the Center boasts one of the largest collections of rockets and space memorabilia anywhere in the world.
You’ll be blown away (pun intended) by the massive Saturn V rocket that’s suspended in all its glory from the ceiling in the Rocket Center’s Davidson Center for Space Exploration. The Saturn V launched Apollo 11 and the subsequent Apollo missions. A simulator gives you an idea of the force (and noise!) exerted by a rocket so large.
Stroll through Rocket Park and its 27 missiles and rockets to learn on how advancements in Army rocketry pushed America’s space program forward. Immerse your senses in the action of a compelling movie shown on the Center’s state-of-the-art IMAX dome screen.
A SIGHT TO BE SEEN:
Just passing through? Feast your eyes on the 224-foot tall Saturn 1B at the Ardmore Welcome Center off Interstate 65-North in Elkmont, Alabama.
Huntsville, nicknamed “Rocket City,” has one of the highest numbers of Ph.D.s per capita in the country.
Clockwise from top left: Burned heat shield of the returned Apollo 16 Command Module. U.S. Space and Rocket Center. Shuttle Park. Saturn V Hall at the Davidson Center. (schusterbauer.com / Shutterstock.com) Bottom right: Apollo A7L era space suit. (Tim Daugherty / Shutterstock.com) Fight for a spot in one of the Center’s interactive exhibits and simulators that stay covered-up with people. All ages have a blast participating in activities that teach about gimble, G-forces and other laws of physics. The Space Shot shows you exactly what a rocket launch feels like, including three full seconds of heady weightlessness, as it propels you 140 feet straight up in a mere 2.5 seconds.
Explore a replica of the International Space Station to gain a new level of respect for astronauts and the “special” living and working conditions they endure in the name of science. Accomplishing anything in such cramped quarters is an amazing feat all on its own.
All of the dynamic displays and chances for action are thrilling, but equally impressive are the Huntsville people who’ve made the U.S. Space program what it is today. The Center does a great job detailing the history of the space race, highlighting the integral role Huntsville played and telling personal stories that exemplify the drive and determination it took to reach farther and higher than ever before and journey beyond earth’s atmosphere. Thanks to the innovations made and hard work put in at Redstone Arsenal and NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center, Huntsville went from being the Watercress Capital of the World to earning the nickname “Rocket City” and now has one of the highest numbers of Ph.D.s per capita in the country.
There’s always much more to see and do, including special exhibits and events happening all year long. Take the next free weekend you’ve got and check out the U.S. Space & Rocket Center and all it offers. You’ll leave entertained, educated and inspired.
WHERE ON EARTH TO LAND
WHILE YOU’RE IN TOWN
You could easily spend an entire day at the Space Center, but Huntsville has other attractions well worth your time too.
Lowe Mill:
Check out this active arts community built into an abandoned textile mill. With more than 200 working artists, small businesses, restaurants and live performance venues, it is the largest privately owned arts facility in the United States, and its working studios, galleries, theatre and performance spaces nurture artists while giving the public amazing access to art and art education. lowemill.net
OUT-OF- THIS- WORLD FUN
Huntsville Botanical
Garden: This 112-acre wonderland of green growing things is filled with trees, shrubs, flowers, a fern glade, a peaceful aquatic garden and more. Wide walking paths make a leisurely stroll through the many colors, textures and peacefulness of the plants easy. And in the Children’s Garden, a special treat awaits, the nation’s largest seasonal butterfly house and several spaces designed specifically with kids and their curiosity in mind. hsbgv.org
Local painter Leigh Anna Newell’s love of art is rooted in her desire to create unique pieces that reflect a variety of artistic expressions but that capture and evoke peace.
thousand words worth a
by kimberley carter spivey photography by michelle consuegra
"Huntsville’s Vasevine Visits the Emerald Coast," a recent piece. This page: Newell's studio environment and surrounding landscape's proximity to nature provide on-going inspiration for her creative process. Opposite: Scenes from Newell's Wetumpka home and studio. Newell painting in a favorite, sunny spot.
Born and raised in Montgomery, Leigh Anna Newell currently lives in Wetumpka with her family and has had a passion for art since childhood. It first emerged in her formative years with her mother giving her drawing lessons. Jim Gunter was her first formal art teacher at Baldwin Magnet school, and she continued to study fine art at BTW Magnet high school and later, Huntington College. Since then, her curiosity and dedication to lifelong learning have expanded her artistic vision. She continues to study art and a wide variety of subjects that inadvertently influence her work today.
To ensure she does her best work, she always follows a unique creative process. “Through various moments in my life, my body proposes limitations. However, my art is comforting and presents an escape in a fleeting moment of focus and rest, which I then offer to fellow travelers,” she says. “I delight in creating impressions and atmospheres of ever-changing landscapes with the intent to capture peace. I do so by exploring various media, watercolor, ink, acrylic, silverpoint and pyrography, as well as different surfaces from traditional to unique, salvaged substances of pistachio shells, matchsticks, nail heads and more.”
Leigh Anna is most known for her distinctive tiny paintings. Drawn from memories and photographs, these minuscule works depict scenic views, flora and fauna found in her daily life. She presents these paintings unframed, framed, mounted on wood, sitting in glass jars, suspended on pendants, on watch faces and in handmade artist books. “I experimented with tiny paintings on a whim in 2012. After my father passed away, it helped me to keep practicing art when chronic illnesses made it nearly impossible to maintain. Years later, the discovery of my great uncle being a miniature portrait artist ignited a passion and put down some deep roots.”
When asked where her inspiration comes from, she explained that it’s all around her. “Gazing out windows into the gardens or woods. Walking our dog around the circle by the lake. Taking short drives down back roads nearby, or hikes and long drives to town — at these times, I find myself constantly taking in all the details in my mind’s eye or with my camera phone. There is a swamp that I usually visit after mailing packages. Every time, I photograph it and find myself always in awe of its seasons. My views and surroundings inspire me.”
Her works depict things of meaning, and the paths to each remind her that life is a journey. The birds are often depicted in flight as a sign of faith that we are not alone, and no situation is hopeless. Mountains are the everyday obstacles that we face. Each color, line and image hold significance as well. Some meanings are more elusive than others, though she tries to give hints in the titles whenever possible.
award-winning
Throughout her career, painter Leigh Anna Newell has received numerous honorable mentions, first, second and third places in watercolor, mixed media and photography, as well as the Donnave Lindsey Memorial Merit Award for watercolor.
the artist's eye
We asked artist Leigh Anna Newell to name a few of her favorite pieces from other artists.
The scale of Newell's pieces came from practicing her skills when chronic illnesses made it nearly impossible to maintain her work. “I have tiny art created by various friends and fellow artists from around the world, all of which I adore, and I am honored to provide a wall to be graced by their beauty. However, my alltime favorite piece of art would have to be Charles Burchfields’s ‘Arctic Owl and Winter Moon,’ which I only occasionally see in person once every 10 years or so. The light he creates by way of what he chooses to leave out of his painting radiates and causes that which he did paint to glow. He created a system of symbols to remake his landscape as he experienced it, and not just what he saw. The resulting image, to me, is hauntingly beautiful.”
see & seize
Get a good look at a variety of Leigh Anna Newell’s art in her online gallery at www.nellandgrey.com and on Facebook and Instagram @leighannanewell. There are also pieces Redhill Gallery in Tallassee, Alabama, and two pieces in the permanent collection at the Montgomery Museum of Fine Art (under her maiden name, Oswald) and even a piece in the Copelouzos Family Art Museum in Athens, Greece.
Leigh Anna’s work can be purchased at nellandgrey.com, and she accepts a limited number of commissions.
Images this page courtesy of Leigh Anna Newell.
