Art In the Stars: A Talk With Wes Buchanan

On Oct. 19, SUNY New Paltz students had the opportunity to connect with alumni as part of the school’s annual alumni reunion weekend. Across campus, alumni decked out in blue and orange came to campus for a variety of tours and interactive workshops. 

Among the weekend’s festivities was the presentation “Painting In the Stars: Art In the Space Industry.” New Paltz Honors Program alum Wes Buchanan hosted the presentation in the Honors Center, which focused on Buchanan’s unique journey into the space industry — specifically their job at NASA — as an artist.

Honors Program Director Pat Sullivan gave Buchanan, who graduated in 2021 with a Bachelor of  Fine Arts in painting and drawing, a warm welcome. She applauded their dedication and time spent in the Honors Program. Buchanan’s senior thesis, a massive, galactic-themed portrait titled “Halo Orbit,” hung as a backdrop on the walls of the Honors Center and served as a crucial part of their journey to NASA.

Buchanan’s introduction to the space industry began at a young age. Their father worked at NASA through the 1980s and 90s as a spacecraft engineer, building two major spacecrafts named Wind and Polar. “He always talked about them as though they were his first kids,” Buchanan joked. “My relationship to them was as their little sibling.” 

This early connection to the space industry sparked a passion for the field, though art always remained a constant in their life. Combining their love for the two  pushed Buchanan to explore the intricacies between the two fields. “My job, both as an artist and a professional, is to show that the line that separates art and science is way thinner than people think it is,” Buchanan said. “[STEM and art] intertwine in very strange, wonderful ways.” 

Buchanan began work at NASA in 2022 as a strategic design analyst through Freedom Information Systems, joining a network of over 250 internal employees, who all worked primarily in the fine arts field. “I was super excited to get into a community of people who were so like-minded, who were just as passionate about space as I was but had the creative touch,” said Buchanan. 

During this time, Buchanan worked on the Artemis team — NASA’s follow-up to the 1969 moon landing, which plans to send astronauts to the moon in 2025 and 2026. They designed key illustrations and logos for the mission. However, Buchanan was laid off in December 2022, much to their dismay. Despite their disappointment, Buchanan was soon recruited by the Conceptual Image Lab at NASA, where they currently create a variety of artwork for the program’s research and mission-related projects.

Buchanan credited the New Paltz community, especially the Honors Program and painting department, for fostering a spirit of support and community during their time at the school. They also stressed the importance of confidence in uncertainty, insisting to “always shoot above what you think you are worth.”

Highlights of Buchanan’s work can be found via @wes_buchanan.jpeg on Instagram.