Earth Day 2025: Student artwork decorates the globe-shaped Sphere in Las Vegas
Earth Day 2025: Student artwork decorates the globe-shaped Sphere in Las Vegas Las Vegas students from elementary schools to UNLV competed to have their Earth Day-themed artwork displayed on the massive Sphere's Exosphere. Eight lucky winners got their wish on April 22.
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Las Vegas Sphere displays winners of student artwork challenge
Eight students were selected and awarded prizes as part of the second annual Sphere XO Student Design Challenge.
The Sphere in Las Vegas gets some homegrown imagery for Earth Day.
Eight local students – all winners of the Second Annual Sphere XO Student Design Challenge – will have their art creations displayed on the mammoth installation's Exosphere throughout the summer, starting the night of April 22.
Students from Clark County elementary, middle and high schools and from the University of Nevada, Las Vegas collectively submitted thousands of Earth Day-themed artworks for the chance to be displayed on Sphere. From those, more than 100 were entered into an online public vote, from which four winners were selected. Four additional winners were chosen by a panel of artists.
"It feels so cool. Like, out of this world cool! It's super exciting that my art is going to be on Sphere," said Leena Luu, a fifth-grader at Lucille S. Rogers Elementary School, who wants to pursue a career in science, said in a news release. Her drawing of the Earth humanized the globe with a pair of pensive eyes.
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Sphere Earth Day art contest rewards artists, their schools
Winning elementary and middle school students get a $10,000 donation for their school's art program and tickets for their entire school to attend The Sphere Experience. The high school and UNLV winners get a $10,000 educational scholarship from Sphere.
UNLV senior Gage Glass plans to use the scholarship prize towards tuition and a goal of graduating with a major in entertainment engineering and design and a minor in music technology. Glass created a verdant scene of mountains, fields, a massive tree and a river to showcase the four seasons.
"It's quite incredible to have my art featured on the biggest canvas in the world after all this hard work and I'm still trying to wrap my head around it!" Glass said.
For last year's contest, competitors created 4th of July-themed art to display on the Exosphere, which measures 580,000 square feet as the largest LED screen on Earth. This year, students were asked to create imagery with the theme of Earth Day.
In addition to the fan vote, held during March to select four of the eight winners, another four were selected by a panel of artists including Shepard Fairey and Jen Stark, both of whom have designed art to appear on the Exosphere.
"The Exosphere is an impactful platform for public art and nearly a quarter of a million votes were cast in this year's Challenge in support of the talented young student artists in our Las Vegas community," said Rich Constable, Sphere's global head of government affairs and social impact, in a statement. "We are proud to collaborate with CCSD (Clark County School District) and UNLV on this important initiative and we encourage all participants to continue to pursue their interests in the arts, science and technology."
Mike Snider is a reporter on USA TODAY's Trending team. You can follow him on Threads, Bluesky, X and email him at mikegsnider & @mikegsnider.bsky.social & @mikesnider & msnider@usatoday.com
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