The UNLV College of Fine Arts and Sphere Entertainment Co. announced today that voting is now open for the Second Annual Sphere XO Student Design Challenge. In its second year, the public will once again have a say in what appears on the Exosphere by casting votes for Clark County-based students’ artwork which, as part of the Challenge, is inspired by and will debut on the Exosphere on Earth Day – April 22, 2025.
The Sphere XO Student Design Challenge is an ongoing and unprecedented collaboration between Sphere, UNLV, and the Clark County School District that gives local students the opportunity to have their work displayed on the world’s largest LED screen. Eight student artists ranging from elementary school through college will be selected via a combination of public voting and artist judging – with four winners chosen by the public vote and four winners selected by a panel of renowned artists including Shepard Fairey and Jen Stark, who is the latest artist to design art for the Exosphere as part of the XO/Art program. Fans worldwide can vote now through Monday, March 24 at 11:59 p.m. PT via thesphere.com/vote.
“We are proud to showcase to the world artwork from the incredibly talented student artists in the Clark County School District and at UNLV and continue to encourage STEAM education in our local community,” said Rich Constable, Global Head of Government Affairs & Social Impact, MSG Entertainment. “The Student Design Challenge demonstrates what’s possible when technology and art come together, and we encourage the public to support both the students and this important community initiative by casting their vote.”
"The chance to have your artwork celebrated and displayed on such a large scale is an incredible opportunity for artists of all ages, but it is especially valuable for those diligently working to refine their skills and make a breakthrough," said Shepard Fairey. "I have always enjoyed the interactive nature of art school, where you present your work, defend it, and participate in critiques. This experience is similar but on a much larger public stage. I commend all the students who participated and look forward to reviewing their work."
“It’s probably one of the most incredible things I’ve ever done as an artist,” said Raul Montez, one of the UNLV winners of the inaugural Sphere XO Student Design Challenge in 2024. “As an architect, I'm still on one of the highest highs ever of seeing my art on Sphere.”
More than 100,000 Clark County-based students were invited to create art for the Exosphere around this year’s theme of Earth Day. Members of the public can now view submissions from the more than 100 finalists – from elementary school, middle school, high school, and college – and, new this year, can vote once daily for an entry in each of the four student groups. Additionally, fans can easily share who they cast their votes for across social media platforms to encourage their family and friends to vote in the Challenge.
In addition to seeing their work displayed on the Exosphere, winning high school and UNLV students will receive a $10,000 educational scholarship from Sphere, while winning elementary and middle school students will earn a $10,000 donation from Sphere for their school’s art program to further art education in public schools, along with tickets for their entire school to attend The Sphere Experience.
SPHERE XO Student Design Challenge Process
Elementary/Middle School:
All Clark County School District students in grades 4-8 (approximately 100,000 students) were invited to participate
- Students were provided with a 2D drawing of Sphere that they were able to illustrate or paint. CCSD administrators selected 294 students to represent the District: one student from each of the 233 elementary schools and one from each of the 61 middle schools
- The 60 best submissions – 30 from the 233 elementary school submissions and 30 from the 61 middle school submissions – were chosen by school administrators to be digitized by the Sphere team for the final judging and voting process
- Public voting is now open at thesphere.com/vote until Monday, March 24 at 11:59 p.m. PT
High School/College:
- Students from Clark County School District high schools and the UNLV Colleges of Fine Arts, Architecture, Film, Engineering, and Mathematics – were selected to participate by school administrators based on students’ demonstrated passion for art and digital design
- The participating students were provided with a VR headset and custom design tools developed by the Sphere team, including a digital creator app, to aid in the creation of their art
- They also received hands-on tutorials from Sphere designers on how to create art specifically for the Exosphere’s unique LED canvas, as well as mentorship from last year’s student winners. All submissions from the high school and college students who were selected to participate were digitized by the Sphere team for the final judging and voting process
- Public voting is now open at thesphere.com/vote until Monday, March 24 at 11:59 p.m. PT
The inaugural Sphere XO Student Design Challenge, which was themed around the Fourth of July, crowned eight student winners from fifth grade through graduate school on July 4, 2024. Nearly 75,0000 votes worldwide were cast in just over two weeks, marking the first time the public had a say in what appeared on the Exosphere. The schools with the winning students from last year’s Challenge are currently joining us at Sphere for The Sphere Experience featuring Darren Aronofsky's Postcard from Earth, with more than 4,000 students and faculty experiencing Sphere. In addition, many of last year’s winners are actively mentoring students participating in this year’s Challenge.
About Sphere
Sphere is a next-generation entertainment medium that is redefining the future of live entertainment. A venue where the foremost artists, creators, and technologists create extraordinary experiences that take storytelling to a new level and transport audiences to places both real and imagined. The venue hosts original Sphere Experiences from leading Hollywood directors; concerts and residencies from the world’s biggest artists; and premier marquee events. The first Sphere venue opened in Las Vegas in September 2023, and is a new Las Vegas landmark, powered by cutting-edge technologies that ignite the senses and enable audiences to share experiences at a never-before seen scale. More information is available at thesphere.com.
About the UNLV College of Fine Arts
The College of Fine Arts educates, empowers, and engages creative people to become visionary change-makers in the arts through acts of imagination. At UNLV we believe the arts are an essential good for society. We make education relevant and accessible through our programs and outreach. We create new knowledge in the arts. We celebrate independent thought and the power of bringing people together to foster creativity.
