Space Cowboy

Artist Statement:

Olivia’s background in Mechanical Engineering inspired this concept with gratitude to her sponsor and beloved grandfather, Layne Smith.

“Space Cowboy” features bright cosmic depictions inspired by historical achievements in space. Bold and colorful scenes adorn every surface of the horse. The design represents the colorful history of space exploration and a bright future cosmos for the next generation. This horse aims to empower viewers to reach for the Stars! Depictions include: Neil Armstrong (reflected in visor with Lunar Module) and Buzz Aldrin of Apollo 11 (first moon landing, 1969), the Apollo 11 Command Module, Margaret Hammilton’s iconic stack of navigational code for the Apollo 11 mission, The Space Shuttle Discovery launch (American spacecraft to fly the most missions), International Space Station, SpaceX Falcon 9 Rocket and Starlink satellites, a Black Hole, Orion’s belt and other (real and “pretend”) constellations. Look closely to see footprints on the moon.

Fun Fact: Buzz Aldrin is depicted holding a bouquet of roses to represent the artist’s love of Louisville. J.B. SPEED School of Engineering and UofL cardinal constellations are also depicted.