Jim Plaxco, MSc
Jim Plaxco, MSc is a multifaceted digital artist and space advocate who currently serves as President of the Chicago Society for Space Studies, a NASA JPL Solar System Ambassador, and the NSS Space Ambassador’s Economics Subject Matter Expert. Jim is the artist and proprietor of the Artsnova Digital Art Gallery. Jim’s career masterfully blends technology, art, and space education and advocacy, marking him a unique individual who has made substantive contributions to multiple fields.
Jim’s contributions to space art and advocacy are both myriad and impactful. In 2007, he earned the NSS Award of Excellence for leading the NSS space art contest and creating the 2008 Space Settlement Calendar. His artwork Zero Energy, flown aboard SpriteSat 1, encapsulates his unique blend of art, science, and space exploration. Jim has also contributed as a judge at space art contests for NASA and other organizations. In 2024, Jim acted as the Principal Art Judge and Operations Manager for the NSS Roadmap to Space Student Art Contest.
Additionally, Jim was also responsible for organizing a 1993 speaking tour with cosmonaut Georgi Grechko, securing an NSS Chapter Special Merit Award for the Chicago Society for Space Studies. Watch NSS Space Forum — Roadmap to Space Student Art Contest with Jim Plaxco.
Jim’s passion for space advocacy is evident in his decades-long commitment to leadership and education. As President of the Chicago Society for Space Studies (CSSS), he spearheads initiatives to foster public enthusiasm for space exploration in the Chicago region. His advocacy began in the mid-1980s with the National Space Institute, the precursor to the National Space Society (NSS), and by 1988, he was actively involved with the Chicago Space Frontier L5 and CSSS chapters. He later presided over the Northern Illinois Space Advocacy, strengthening local efforts to promote space exploration.
Within the NSS, Jim’s leadership has been significant. He served as Region 6 Director on the NSS Board in 2002 and as Vice President of Chapter Affairs from 2002 to 2004, enhancing chapter coordination and engagement. His technical expertise shaped organizational operations, notably as Chair of the Web Oversight Committee in 2007, where he oversaw the NSS website’s redesign, and as Director of Information Systems and Data Protection Officer in 2019, roles from which he has since retired.
Education remains central to Jim’s mission. His own personal educational journey began when he graduated from Northern Illinois University with a BSc in Economics followed by a Master of Science in Computer Science in 1985 from the same university. His passion for education would motivate him to create the CSSS Speakers Bureau, delivering presentations across northeastern Illinois to engage communities with space science. As a NASA JPL Solar System Ambassador, he leverages his digital art to illustrate talks, making complex concepts accessible to diverse audiences. An example of Jim’s educational work is his Exun Talks webinar, How Not to Design a Martian Economy.
In this presentation, he shared the practical insights obtained and challenges faced by him and his team as participants in the Mars Society's 2020 Mars City State Design Contest. His role as NSS Space Ambassador’s Economics Subject Matter Expert underscores his focus on the economic dimensions of space settlement, as highlighted in a South Elgin Examiner interview.
His influence extends beyond CSSS and NSS. Jim has served as a director and Vice President of the Planetary Studies Foundation and as an advisor to the Harper College Center for Meteorite and Planetary Studies.
As an artist, Jim merges his software programming expertise with artistic vision, utilizing digital tools and algorithmic processes that create art experiences designed to provoke and inspire. While still using commercially available 2D paint and image processing software, Jim relies heavily on software and tools that he has created. In this innovative pursuit, he has created image processing, algorithmic, and generative art programs. Watch The Digital Portrait Art of Jim Plaxco.
Jim continues to inspire through his unique fusion of art, technology, and space advocacy, leaving an indelible mark on both creative and scientific communities. His ongoing work as an artist and educator demonstrates the powerful impact one individual can have when bridging multiple disciplines with passion and expertise.
Watch How Not to Design a Martian Economy, Sustainability of a Lunar Economy – 2020 Lunar Development Conference, Space Settlement Perspectives with Jim Crisafulli and Jim Plaxco, The Digital Portrait Art of Jim Plaxco.
Read Creative Coding for Generative Geometric Art, The Artist's Digital Art Tools, and Historical Reminiscences of Cosmonaut Georgi Mikhailovich Grechko.
Keep up with Jim and his work by following him on X, LinkedIn, Instagram, his personal website, and his YouTube page, as well as the NSS YouTube Page. Check out his stunning creations at the Artsnova Digital Art Gallery!