The Dream Rocket Project was created in 2009 through the International Fiber Collaborative and was co-created by Jennifer Marsh, who is currently teaching Design I at Washburn. Linnzi Fusco, senior art major, helped Marsh with the current display at the Children’s Discovery Center.

The Dream Rocket Project is nationwide and began while Marsh was in graduate school at Syracuse with the help of 2,500 fellow art students. One of the first projects the Dream Rocket Project was involved with was wrapping an entire abandoned gas station with artwork, covering about 6,000 feet.

Their next mission is to wrap the entire Saturn V Moon Rocket in Huntsville, Ala. in May and June 2014. The Saturn V Rocket is located at the U.S. Space and Rocket Center. In the Huntsville community, there are over 500,000 people that have been working on the Saturn Rocket and are excited about the project.

“We love the opportunities to expand what we do,” said Marsh.

Marsh describes Huntsville as being “a town full of engineers that are nervous about fabric.”

The Saturn V Rocket is 365 feet tall and is 50 feet taller than the Statue of Liberty. As to date, there are approximately 8,000 pieces of artwork being displayed in 351 cities, 19 countries worldwide and in 49 states in the U.S.

Most of the pieces submitted are about two feet by two feet and are based on a wide variety of themes.

Some of those themes include love, peace, community, space, education, science, technology, equality, freedom and community. Any type of media can be used, creating endless possibilities such as with cloth, yarn, plastic canvas and much more.

“Art Education develops self-esteem, appreciation of the work of others, self-expression, cooperation with others, and critical thinking skills,” said

Marsh. “All of these skills are vital to the success of our future leaders – our children.”

In celebration of National Youth Art Month, some of the artwork created by various artists and groups nationwide and are currently displayed at the Children’s Discovery Museum until the end of March 2012. Some of the local art on display comes from schools such as St. Mary’s and Rossville grade school.

Future display locations will include the Mulvane Art Museum on July 1-31, 2012 and the Brown v. Board of Education National Historic Site from May 1 to June 30, 2013.

For more information about how to get involved in the Dream Rocket Project, feel free to visit www.thedreamrocket.com.