Artwork By Coral Springs 5th-Grader Will Fly Aboard SpaceX Mission

[caption id="attachment_40406" align="aligncenter" width="800"] Kylie Lopez attends Maplewood Elementary School in Coral Springs {Courtesy family}[/caption]

By Kevin Deutsch

A Coral Springs fifth-grader was named a Grand Prize Winner of the Spring 2022 Florida Space Art Contest Wednesday and will have her artwork flown on an upcoming SpaceX mission, state officials said.

Kylie Lopez, 11, a student at Maplewood Elementary School and a resident of Sabal Pointe, was one of two grand prize winners. Ten other students were named finalists.

Public school students in grades K-5 statewide were encouraged to create a piece of art inspired by the theme “Florida is the Place for Space: Celebrating Florida’s Contributions to Space Travel and Exploration.”

The Florida Department of State’s Division of Arts and Culture reviewed all submitted pieces and selected their favorite 60 entries. Lieutenant Governor Jeanette Nuñez then selected the top ten and, eventually, the two grand prize winners.

Over 2,500 students submitted an original work of art for the contest.

“I applaud our two grand prize winners. Their stellar works of art exemplify why Florida is the place for space,” said Nuñez. “We are excited for students to enjoy their prize this summer, and we look forward to honoring all of the winners of the contest at a future event.”

The two grand prize winners will have their original art piece flown into space on an upcoming SpaceX mission targeted for this summer, officials said.

[caption id="attachment_40407" align="aligncenter" width="1086"] Kylie's winning artwork.[/caption]

All finalists and their teachers will receive two tickets to the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex.

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Author Profile

Kevin Deutsch

Kevin Deutsch is an award-winning journalist and author of two nonfiction books. He covers general assignment news and Jewish community issues for Talk Media. He has also worked as a staff writer at The Miami Times, the Rio Grande SUN, the New York Daily News, Newsday, The Miami Herald, The Palm Beach Post, The Riverdale Press, and Bronx Justice News.

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