Sir Arthur C. Clarke's visionary legacy gave the world more than 70 published works of fiction and non-fiction, translated into 30 languages, and the concept of geo-stationary communications satellites. Perhaps more familiar to the everyday American, the epic film "2001: A Space Odyssey" was a product of his imagination. Now, thanks to a unique partnership, Clarke's legacy will have a permanent home on the UNLV campus. The Nevada Board of Regents has approved the new Arthur C. Clarke Center at UNLV. The Center is a collaborative effort between UNLV and the Arthur C. Clarke Foundation. Inspired by Clarke's legacy, the Center seeks to honor Clarke's creative contributions to literature, science, and technology by studying, identifying, and nourishing creativity in students at various levels of education throughout the world.
According to the Arthur C. Clarke Foundation's Chair, Tedson Meyers, the Center will be a focal point for the study of human imagination: to explore its sources; to weigh its consequences in human development, including in the advancement of science, literature, and the arts; to examine and predict how creativity intersects with historical moments; and to discover and encourage individuals of all nations and ages, gifted with exceptional insight.
"We have found a natural home for the Center at UNLV," Meyers said. "It's the right place, the right fit. Everything we've discovered about UNLV and Las Vegas, in ourview, simply verifies the decision to come to here. We've created this Center to reach the impact of human imagination and put opportunity in its path- what better place could there be?"
"The achievements of Arthur C. Clarke bridge the arts and sciences - his work ranges from scientific discovery to science fiction and have made a global impact on the lives of present and future generations," said Stephen Rosenbaum, Dean of the Honors College at UNLV, which will oversee the Center. "With various programs in the Clarke Center at UNLV, we expect to vivify an appreciation for the importance of imagination in human life, to support research on creative imagination, and to enhance imagination and the spirit of discovery in sciences and the arts."
The Center will be housed within UNLV's Honors College, but long-term plans call for a new facility specifically for the Center. Last summer, the Arthur C. Clarke Foundation hosted a design competition among UNLV architecture students, also known as a charette, to generate initial designs and concepts for a building that will house the Center.
"The building will be a showcase for Clarke's legacy," Meyers said. "In addition to classrooms and offices, we'll have a building with large public spaces, perhaps featuring space art, movie posters and computer terminals," Meyers said. Clarke's archives are expected to be housed in UNLV's Lied Library.
Fund-raising efforts are underway for the new facility and for the Center's programs. In the meantime, Rosenbaum says the Center's work has already begun with a lecture series, the architectural design competition, and the SAGE Academy, UNLV's summer program for gifted pre-college students. The first of two annual Clarke lectures was last fall by Dr. Robert Sternberg, a prominent expert on creativity education, and the second will happen later this spring with Michael Turner, Distinguished Professor and Chair of the Department of Astronomy and Astrophysics at the University of Chicago.
