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The future is not written in the stars, it’s up to the next generation to create it.

NEWSLETTER :: SUMMER-FALL 2026

LISTEN to the latest "Space Art in New Mexico" episode of our Space on Earth Podcast - Hosted and produced by STEMarts Ambassadors

SPONSORSHIPS AVAILABLE! Our 2026 launch of REIMAGINE SPACE: NEW MEXICO to celebrate World Space Week 4-10 OCT is open for sponsorship. This inaugural series of events will be an amazing success because of YOU! Reserve your spot to show your support for our amazing students, artists, scientists, and technologists. Help us to create immersive experiences for more people to connect around the world and imagine new possibilities for humanity’s future. Keep reading to see more!

THIS WEEKEND :: Meet the Artist-Christopher Knowlton

For middle school and high school students interested in creating with augmented reality design tools, join us at UNM-Taos HIVE for this interactive session to learn from PASEO artist Christopher Knowlton. This is our last creative coding bootcamp in the 2026 series. There is no cost to attend. Registration is required. Lunch and snacks are provided. Travel stipends are available to families who are traveling from out of area. Special thanks to The PASEO Project and UNM-Taos HIVE for sponsoring this unique STEAM learning event.

Become a STEMarts Patron to Support Our Work!

15,000+

Event Attendees a Year

6+

STEMarts Events a Year

25+

Youth Ambassadors a Year

8+

Paid Interns a Year

STEMarts Lab is a New Mexico 501c3 Nonprofit

SUCCESS :: EDNM CreativeCon @ Pueblo of Pojoque

On Tuesday, May 30th at the Buffalo Thunder Resort, our Director Agnes Chavez and Youth Ambassadors interacted with attendees at the 2026 CreativeCon presented by Economic Development New Mexico Creative Division.

Pascal, Victor, and Sirena staffed the exhibitor table and guided visitors through cosmic augmented reality SPACE[AR]T pieces that creatively interpret science concepts from previous SciArt Bootcamp events. STEMarts alum Ivan Rodriguez-Holguin supported the event as both a Creative Industries Ambassador and as our social media content creator. Check out the event recap video!

Finally, Agnes joined the Creative Supports panel on stage to discuss how nonprofits can benefit from the state's economic development grant programs to build stronger community networks to develop a robust creative industry in New Mexico. With funding awarded by NMED, STEMarts Lab looks forward to launching the new AstroTrail[AR] on local trails next year. Keep reading to see more!

ALUMNI SPOTLIGHT :: HattieRose Briddell

HattieRose is a 2026 graduate of Sora High School, with honors. She spent her summer in New York City working a summer internship with an art gallery and an art newspaper. This fall, HattieRose is heading to Europe for language immersion.

Her STEMarts career included working as our Youth Coordinator through the New Mexico Department of Workforce Solutions Internship program. While in this role, HattieRose helped to manage the onboarding of new youth Ambassadors, recordkeeping, and communications to the entire Ambassador cadre.

As a STEMarts Ambassador herself, HattieRose assumed a leadership position with the "Space on Earth" podcast as a researcher, producer, and host while helping to manage the entire podcast team and serve as the social media liaison to release high-quality episodes by the established deadlines.

In addition, HattieRose helped to facilitate Ambassador interviews and contributed to the creation of the STEMarts Lab presentation given to the 2025 Science Summit alongside the United Nations General Assembly 80. HattieRose is one of the authors of the STEMarts “Community Voices: The Future of AI” book that includes AI for Good prototype projects that illustrate how people-first technology can help to meet the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals in rural New Mexico Communities.

See more about our outstanding Ambassadors.

GRANT WIN :: New Mexico PED OST

STEMarts Lab is grateful to be a recipient of the New Mexico Public Education Department 2026/27 Out of School Time Grant to expand access to high-quality, project-based learning experiences that connect students to science, technology, and the creative industries. The funds enable us to fully develop a hub-based model that combines access to regional technology labs, and remote collaboration through the online STEMarts Portal.

COMING SOON :: AstroTrail[AR]

How does this place help us understand our place in the universe?

That question is at the heart of AstroTrail [AR], a new STEMarts Lab project that invites students to explore the connections between land, sky, and space through science, art, storytelling, creative technology, and outdoor learning.

AstroTrail [AR] combines classroom learning with field exploration across the high-desert, mountain, and volcanic landscapes of Northern New Mexico, helping students discover how the places around them connect to larger Earth systems, planetary science, ecology, culture, and community. Students investigate their local environment and translate their observations, questions, maps, stories, and creative ideas into original SciArt works.

Student audio recordings, stories, observations, and creative work will also contribute to an evolving augmented reality experience connected to place. Using a mobile device, participants will be able to discover location-based scientific observations, stories, creative interpretations, and digital artworks created by participating students—bringing young people’s voices and perspectives into a growing network of experiences connecting communities, landscapes, Earth, and space.

We invite middle school and high school teacher and afterschool educators in Taos County to become part of the AstroTrail [AR] project. Learn more about AstroTrail[AR].

Thank you to our collaborative partners!

OVER COFFEE® :: Communicating Wonder + Awe

Agnes Chavez sat down with Dot Cannon "over coffee" to talk about how STEMarts Lab combines art, science and technology, and mentors students in collaborating on solving real-world challenges and illustrating space science in engaging and immersive ways. Listen to the episode here..

REIMAGINE SPACE: NEW MEXICO World Space Week

The United Nations General Assembly declared World Space Week in 1999 an international celebration of science and technology and their contribution to the betterment of humanity. Held annually from October 4–10, World Space Week brings communities around the world together to explore humanity's relationship with space.

Grounded in the philosophy of Space for All, REIMAGINE SPACE: NEW MEXICO is a statewide network of partner-led, space-inspired experiences presented during World Space Week that brings together youth, educators, scientists, artists, cultural organizations, and industry partners to explore humanity's relationship with space while creating opportunities for the next generation and their communities to explore, learn, and imagine our shared future.

Curated by STEMarts Lab, with support from the Albuquerque Sister Cities Foundation, New Mexico International Trade Alliance, and Global STEM Partnership, REIMAGINE SPACE: NEW MEXICO celebrates New Mexico’s remarkable connections to space through art, science, technology, and culture, inspiring youth and communities to imagine new possibilities for humanity’s future. This inaugural series of collaborative programming connects New Mexico to the world and the world to New Mexico by bringing together partner educators and students from New Mexico, Guadalajara, Mexico, and Monrovia, Liberia during World Space Week.

YOUTH AMBASSADORS LIBERIA :: Mapping the Stars

In a new international partnership with Science Plus Liberia, a youth-focused STEAM education organization dedicated to empowering young people through science, technology, engineering, arts, and mathematics learning opportunities in Liberia, West Africa, STEMarts Lab is demonstrating how art can serve as a bridge between cultures and how creative technology can make science more accessible and meaningful.

As part of this partnership, students from Science Plus Liberia are participating in the 2026 Space for Earth: Envisioning Futures International Design Challenge, joining youth from New Mexico and other international communities in imagining innovative solutions for the future of life on Earth and beyond. Through the AstroTour[AR] experience, students are not only learning astronomy and creative coding; they are sharing stories, traditions, and perspectives that enrich our collective understanding of humanity’s relationship to the cosmos.

“Our students learned how to trace the stars digitally, turning cosmic patterns into interactive code… It showed how astronomy and technology can merge, inspiring young minds to see the universe not just as distant lights, but as programmable pathways of discovery.”

-Science Plus Liberia Program Director Julius Doe.

Science Plus Liberia is collaborating with the Liberian Astronomical Society, whose leadership serves as World Space Week coordinator for Liberia. The Liberian Astronomical Society is organizing a public star party during World Space Week in conjunction with activities taking place in New Mexico. Science Plus Liberia students will present their AstroTour [AR] experience to the community, featuring youth-created constellations inspired by Liberian stories and cultural perspectives on the night sky. See the full schedule of our World Space Week events at https://stemarts.com/worldspaceweek/.

"SPACE FOR EARTH" + World Space Week @ Q Station

The STEMarts Space for Earth International Design Challenge asks students around the world to submit a design that explores the idea of "Space for Good" in connection to the United Nation's Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and how space can benefit humanity and deepen our connection to land and sky. Students participating in the challenge to create the most innovative space-inspired design for the future will have a chance to engage with their peers in New Mexico, Mexico, and Liberia to exchange ideas and win cash prizes. Winners will be announced at a special event to celebrate World Space Week in October at Q Station in Albuquerque on October 9th.

BE AN EVENT SPONSOR!

SEE how STEMarts Lab cultivates creative confidence, expanded scientific and humanistic literacy, and a deeper sense of global citizenship through international exchange.

LIVE CODING + ASTROTOUR[AR] :: SciArt @ Los Alamos Science Fest

Join STEMarts Youth Ambasadors for two special immersive SciArt experiences at the Los Alamos ScienceFest Discovery Day on September 26th.

In it's 19th year, Los Alamos ScienceFest will feature a dynamic line-up of activities for all ages, celebrating Science, Technology, Engineering, Art and Math (STEAM) topics under the theme, "It's All Elemental!" There is no cost to attend thanks to Los Alamos Main Street.

11a - 1p @ SALA Event Center

SciArt LIVE CODING Performances



Watch youth artists, scientists, and international collaborators transform real astronomical data—including imagery inspired by the James Webb Space Telescope—into mesmerizing visuals and sound, demonstrating how code, creativity, and astrophysics can come together to tell new stories about our universe.​

7p - 9p @ PEEC

AstroTour[AR]: Mapping the Night Sky

Spend the evening with STEMarts and the Pajarito Astronomers Club gazing at Saturn and other spectacular September-night sights. Explore interactive cosmic art projects created by STEMarts students and discover something new about our universe. This event is weather-dependent.​

Space on Earth Podcast - COMING SOON TO KNCE 93.5 TRUE TAOS RADIO!

Brought to you by STEMarts Lab, the Space on Earth-Taos Chapter is a student led podcast that inspires listeners who are curious about space to explore the wonders of the universe to the voices of young thinkers, creators, and dreamers. Drop us a note about what we should talk about next!

Space on Earth Podcast - SIGN UP to Make New Episodes

Work with NASA Solar System Ambassador Arwen Hubbard and other STEMarts AstroYouth in New Mexico like Tulasi in the video below to create insightful interviews to learn from professionals working in space research, policy, and business. Drop us a note if you want to get involved in podcast production!

Meet Our Brilliant Board of Directors

Juniper Manley

Board Chair

Pilar Lenora Robledo

Board Member

Erin Dayl

Board Secretary

Dr. Steven Godlfarb

Board Member

Shaylee Mirabal

Youth Board Member

Dr. Nicole-Lloyd Ronning

Board Member

LISTEN :: What Our Ambassadors are Saying...

STEMarts Lab is supported by our incredible community. Your generosity empowers the next generation to shape the future through creativity and innovation. Join us in making a difference! Learn more about our outcomes.