HAMPTON, VA.- "Crater Core Sample," a painting by Zachary Madere of the Rocky Mountain College of Art and Design in Lakewood, Colo., was judged the best of more than 90 imaginative entries. The painting shows an astronaut holding an icy cylinder in a darkened crater while two other astronauts look on.

This year, in addition to two-dimensional artwork and sculpture, NASA accepted three-dimensional art and digital art, including video.

The Lunar Art Contest, sponsored by NASA's Langley Research Center in Hampton, Va., allows students from the creative arts disciplines to become involved with and excited about the nation's space exploration program.

"The contest also enables us to see the future from very different and important perspectives," said Richard Antcliff, director of Langley's Strategic Relationships Office, which manages the art contest.

A total of 147 students from more than 70 institutions participated as teams or individuals. More than half the entries were from high school students. Entries were received from 25 U.S. states, France, Poland, India and Romania. A panel of 12 reviewers that included professional artists, scientists, engineers and educators evaluated the entries using three criteria: the artist's statement, creativity and artistic expression, and whether the art represented a valid scenario.

Students who won the overall and first place awards in each category will be recognized as part of a celebration at the National Air & Space Museum in Washington that marks the 40th anniversary of the first Apollo landing. The winning art will be on display in the form of a digital exhibit. Afterward, the exhibit will be available for display at NASA facilities, public venues, the students' schools and elsewhere as requested.

In addition to Madere, who received the best overall score, top winners in the College and University Division are:

-- Two-dimensional art: (tie) Jesse Lenz, West Liberty State College, West Liberty, W.V. and Brent Bishop, University of Colorado at Boulder

-- Three-dimensional art: Kristine Beam, Winston Salem State University, Winston Salem, N.C.

-- Digital art (video): Chi Thien Pham, Institut d'Etudes Superieures des Arts, or IESA, Paris

Top winners in the High School or Secondary School Division are:

-- Best overall score: Pratham Karnik, Walt Whitman High School, Rockville, Md.

-- Two-dimensional art: Josh Kim, Kent Mountain View Academy, Auburn, Wash.

-- Three dimensional: Sami Khaleeq (team entry), Clear Brook High School, Houston

-- Digital art: Matthew Bruemmer, Ronald Reagan High School, San Antonio

For a gallery of winning art and videos, visit: http://artcontest.cet.edu