"TEACHER IN SPACE ~ Quest for Knowledge"

Image Size 18” X 22”

It has been Greg Mort’s honor to be a commissioned NASA artist since 1983. His first mission assignment was STS 7 with Sally Ride, the first women in space.

The  original oil painting “TEACHER IN SPACE ~ Quest for Knowledge”  was created by Greg Mort in 2007 in Greg's Ashton, Maryland studio. Greg was commissioned by NASA to create a work of art honoring Astronaut Barbara Morgan.  When Christa McAuliffe, the original teacher assigned to NASA mission STS-51-L perished on the Space Shuttle Challenger disaster, Barbara replaced her on STS 118 on August 9, 2007 as part of the “TEACHER IN SPACE” Program. 

Mort was inspired to create the image of a shuttle aloft in the universe tethered with flying books by Morgan’s work with Navaho children and her devotion to reading. Morgan shared that her favorite children’s series, was the “Just So Stories” by Rudyand Kipling. Mort painted the title into the painting, as the last finishing touch on August 9th just as STS 118 blasted off into space.  A digital image of the painting was sent up to the shuttle so Barbara could "receive" this gift as she circled the Earth. The original oil painting was presented to Dr. Morgan in a formal ceremony at the Ronald Reagan Building and International Trade Center in Washington, DC. 

The limited edition giclee prints of "Teacher in Space ~ Quest for Knowledge", 18” X 22” were produced to benefit the Challenger Center organization. The families of the crew established Challenger Center in 1986 as a way to honor their loved ones while keeping their educational mission alive.