50th Anniversary Art Exhibition Revealed

“Star Trek: 50 Artists. 50 Years,” a new art exhibit created to commemorate Star Trek’s 50th anniversary, will feature Star Trek-inspired works by 50 artists from 10 countries around the globe, including one by Leonard Nimoy, the franchise’s iconic Spock and a renowned photographer. The exhibit will include original 2D and 3D pieces by the artists, who selected a variety of mediums -- illustrations, photographs, sculptures, paintings, graphics and more -- to express their love of the franchise and the inspiration gained from it.

The global art exhibition will debut at Michael J. Wolf Fine Arts in San Diego’s historic Gaslight Quarter during Comic-Con, from July 21-24. Among those contributing to the collection are digital artists Joshua Budich, Rocco Malatesta, Tom Whalen, sculptor Calvin Ma, the United States Postal Service, and Leonard Nimoy.

Joshua Budich, whose piece is called “To Boldly Go,” is an independent illustrator working for numerous galleries, among them Gallery 1988, Spoke Art and Hero Complex Gallery, as well as movie studios and media outlets all over the world. Inspired by a love for the pop culture of his youth, Budich’s primary focus is on screenprints that celebrate popular movies, live-action television series, animated shows and more.

Rocco Malatesta, represented in the exhibit by “50 – Live Long and Prosper,” is an Italian freelance illustrator whose work often captures pop-culture imagery from movies and television, and frequently encompasses alternate posters. Malatesta, who currently lives in Germany, decided at age 13 that he’d make his living as a graphic designer and through hard work, talent and perseverance, he’s done precisely that.

Calvin Ma, whose exhibit contribution is “Home Is Where The Journey Is,” hails from San Francisco and still lives there today. A sculptor who utilizes the action-figure form in his sculptural work in order to explore personal struggles with social anxiety, he has won numerous awards, including 1st Place at the City of Brea Art Gallery’s ACGA National Clay & Glass Exhibition, and has been represented at more than 40 exhibitions and solo shows.

The United States Postal Service is represented by “Star Trek Commemorative Stamps,” designed by The Heads of State, a/k/a Jason Kernevich and Dustin Summers. As co-creative directors, they've created award-winning posters, book covers, branding and illustrations for a diverse and impressive list of clients. They lecture frequently about their work and process and teach graphic design and illustration at Tyler School of Art, where they both studied.

Leonard Nimoy, who contributed the piece “Hand in Vulcan Gesture,” was an actor, writer, producer, poet, host, patron of the arts and Star Trek’s iconic and beloved Spock. But he was also accomplished lifelong photographer who published several books of his photography and exhibited at galleries and museums worldwide. His three acclaimed books of photography were titled "Secret Selves", "The Fully Body Project" and "Shekhina." “Hand in Vulcan Gesture,” his piece for the exhibit, is a haunting, multi-color depiction of the Vulcan salute that rings particularly poignant given his passing in February 2015. 

Tom Whalen, who contributed “U.S.S. Enterprise Spec Sheet,” is an illustrator and designer whose work has been seen on comic book racks, gallery walls, department store shelves and in magazine spreads. He is known for crafting his illustrations with a strong sense of design and has an instantly recognizable graphic style.

Star Trek fans can see the names of all 50 artists contributing to the exhibit, as well as learn more about the artists referenced above at StarTrek50Art.com. 

Following the San Diego premiere, “Star Trek: 50 Artists. 50 Years.” will beam to Star Trek Las Vegas in August and the Canadian National Exhibition in Toronto from mid-August to early September, before heading to the UK for the Destination Star Trek Europe convention in October and continuing its worldwide tour through August 2017. 

Beyond the traveling exhibit itself, the artwork featured in “Star Trek: 50 Artists. 50 Years.” will be represented in a consumer products collection that will be available at retail following its debut in July. Elements will include an eye-catching coffee table book from Titan Publishing and calendars from Rizzoli that are now available for pre-order, as well as trading cards, apparel, accessories, glassware, posters, stationery and prints.

More than 20 partners are on board and they will offer products set to roll out across the US, Europe, Canada, Australia and other territories around the world.

Keep an eye on StarTrek50Art.com in the coming weeks for ongoing reveals of other pieces in the exhibit.