Sphere Entertainment Co. (NYSE: SPHR) announced today that voting is now open for the Third Annual Sphere XO Student Design Challenge. In its third year, the public will once again cast its vote to decide which Clark County-based student artworks will appear on the Exosphere. This year’s theme celebrates Pi Day, and the winning art will debut on the Exosphere on Wednesday, March 11, 2026, just ahead of Pi Day. At Sphere, many of the equations used in its creation involve Pi, reflecting the same blend of art and science that inspires this challenge. Fans worldwide can vote now through Friday, Feb. 27 at 11:59 p.m. via the Sphere website.
The Sphere XO Student Design Challenge is an ongoing collaboration between Sphere, UNLV, and the Clark County School District that gives more than 100,000 local students the opportunity to submit to have their work displayed on the Exosphere – 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 UON Visuals, one of the most recent artists to design art for the Exosphere as part of the venue’s XO/Art program.
“We are proud to highlight the incredible creativity of student artists from the Clark County School District and UNLV and to continue inspiring the next generation of STEAM innovators,” said Rich Constable, EVP global head of government affairs & social impact for Sphere. “This year’s Pi Day theme is all about how art and science intersect, just like they do in all aspects of Sphere. The Student Design Challenge is a powerful example of how to bridge art with technology, and we encourage everyone to join us in celebrating and voting for these exceptional young creatives.”
“The UNLV College of Fine Arts is extremely pleased and excited to continue our XO Student Design Challenge partnership with Sphere, with the 2026, theme of Pi Day. This endeavor is a particularly powerful educational opportunity for students, in that it is rooted in the integration of arts, technology, and science, and is broadly conceived to include all stages of education — from elementary through university graduate school. This incredibly innovative and visionary project is truly unique in the global context,” said Nancy Uscher, dean of the College of Fine Arts.
Members of the public can now view submissions from more than 100 finalists and can vote once daily for an entry in each of the four student groups. Additionally, fans can easily share across social media platforms that they have voted 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 Wizard of Oz at Sphere.
SPHERE XO Student Design Challenge Process
Elementary/Middle School:
- 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 o 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 Friday, February 27 at 11:59pm PT. See voting terms on the Sphere website.
High School/College:
- Approximately 60 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 o Public voting is now open at thesphere.com/vote until Friday, February 27 at 11:59pm PT. See voting terms on the Sphere website.
The Second Annual Sphere XO Student Design Challenge, which was themed around Earth Day, crowned eight student winners from fifth grade through college in April last year. Nearly 240,000 votes worldwide were cast in last year’s challenge. The schools with the winning students from last year’s Challenge attended The Wizard of Oz at Sphere on Jan. 22, 2026, with more than 4,500 students and faculty experiencing Sphere. In addition, many of last year’s winners are actively mentoring
About Sphere Entertainment Co.
Sphere Entertainment Co. is a leader in immersive experiences, technology and media. The Company includes Sphere, an experiential medium powered by advanced technologies. The first Sphere opened in Las Vegas, with a second venue planned for Abu Dhabi. In addition, the Company includes MSG Networks, which operates two regional sports and entertainment networks, MSG Network and MSG Sportsnet, as well as a direct-to-consumer and authenticated streaming product, MSG+, delivering a wide range of live sports content and other programming.
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.
