LOCAL LAS VEGAS-BASED STUDENTS RANGING FROM ELEMENTARY SCHOOL TO GRADUATE SCHOOL HAVE THEIR ARTWORK DISPLAYED ON THE EXOSPHERE – THE WORLD’S LARGEST LED SCREEN
Donations and Educational Scholarships Awarded to Student Winners and Their Schools
LAS VEGAS (July 5, 2024) – Sphere Entertainment Co. (NYSE: SPHR) announced today the winners of the inaugural Sphere XO Student Design Challenge, which invited more than 100,000 Clark County-based students to create art for the Exosphere – the LED exterior of Sphere in Las Vegas. Eight Clark County-based students ranging from elementary school to graduate school won the opportunity to have their Fourth of July themed-artwork displayed on the Exosphere – the world’s largest LED screen – as part of Sphere’s celebration of Independence Day. The debut of the students’ artwork also marked the first time that members of the general public had their creations displayed on the venue’s iconic exterior. The Challenge represents a first-of-its-kind community collaboration between Sphere, the Clark County School District (CCSD) and University of Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV), and the students’ artwork will now run in rotation on Sphere throughout the summer.
“The Exosphere has received global recognition not only for its captivating visuals, but also as a next-generation platform for public art,” said Jim Dolan, Executive Chairman and CEO of Sphere Entertainment. “We are proud that through the XO Student Design Challenge we were able to leverage Sphere’s technology and use this digital canvas to further artistic expression from Las Vegas’ student artists. Congratulations to all the winners, and we hope audiences around the world are inspired by their creativity.”
The winners of the Sphere XO Student Design Challenge are:
- Elementary School:
- Rafael Ayala Toledo – Grade 5, Mackey Elementary School
- Simone Enriquez – Grade 5, McCaw Elementary School
- Middle School:
- Kathryn Honeycutt – Grade 8, Anthony Saville Middle School
- Robyn Alejandro – Grade 8, Kathleen and Tim Harney Middle School
- High School:
- Alexandra Ashdown – Senior, Liberty High School
- Alicia Valle – Junior, Legacy High School
- College:
- Linjie Ying – Graduate Student, University of Nevada, Las Vegas
- Raul Montez – Senior, University of Nevada, Las Vegas
The winners of the Sphere XO Student Design Challenge each drew from a range of inspirations for the Exosphere art they created and are passionate about a variety of art forms. Eighth grader and Las Vegas native, Robyn Alejandro, was inspired by the fireworks on the Las Vegas strip, while 2024 high school graduate, Alexandra Ashdown, wanted to showcase Las Vegas’ performance artists and 14-year-old Kathryn Honeycutt was inspired by the national symbol of America, the bald eagle. Elementary school winners Rafael Ayala Toledo and Simone Enriquez both love their art class, and Enriquez was specifically inspired by her art teacher, and New York native, 17-year-old Alicia Valle’s loves drawing and painting. 2024 UNLV graduate with a degree in architecture, and California native, Raul Montez’s favorite new “hobby” is being a dad to his four-month-old daughter, and plans to start his own architecture firm after graduate school. Graduate student, Linjie Ying, who is from China, used the Exosphere as a powerful platform to show how all states are united under one symbol – the American flag.
The Sphere XO Student Design Challenge was open to more than 100,000 Clark County-based students in grades 4-12 and select students from UNLV. More than 100 finalists were selected, and the eight winners – four selected by the public and four selected by judges, including professional artists Refik Anadol and Michela Picchi, both of whom have previously designed for the Exosphere – were revealed during a special ceremony at Sphere on July 4. The ceremony, which included remarks from Sphere Entertainment leadership, Clark County Commission Chair Tick Segerblom, and representatives from CCSD and UNLV for a trophy and check presentation, and to see their art displayed on the Exosphere for the first time.
In addition to having their work displayed on the Exosphere, winning CCSD high school and UNLV students received a $10,000 educational scholarship from Sphere. Winning CCSD elementary and middle school students earned 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 at Sphere this fall.
In addition to the eight winners, eight honorable mentions were also recognized at the ceremony. The honorable mentions’ artwork will also run on the Exosphere throughout the summer. Students recognized as honorable mention are Lucia Barron, Serena Carillo, Emily Hiller, Maria Angela Magday, Scarlett Meadows, Leva Rohani, Timothy Simon, and Ryan Vellinga.
The Sphere Fourth of July Celebration also marked the launch of two new features of the Exosphere experience moving forward: “XO Stream” presented by Verizon – an official livestream of the Exosphere that is now available 24/7 on thesphere.com, and “XO Audio” – custom audio synced to content on the Exosphere that is audible both onsite within Sphere’s property and online via “XO Stream.”
Since the Exosphere was first illuminated on July 4, 2023, it has captured worldwide attention for its impactful visuals. The largest LED screen on Earth at 580,000 square feet, the Exosphere consists of approximately 1.2 million LED pucks, spaced eight inches apart. Each puck contains 48 individual LED diodes, with each diode capable of displaying more than 1 billion different colors – creating a vivid landmark on the Las Vegas skyline.
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