Today we’d like to introduce you to Timothy Gagnon. Tim share his story with us below:
Tim Gagnon was born and raised in Hartford, Connecticut. A fascination with space exploration came early as did an interest in art. Like many others of his generation Tim remembers watching the missions of his childhood heroes on a small black and white television with “rabbit ears” that could receive few broadcast stations. For his 16th birthday gift in 1972, his parents arranged for Tim and his father to attend the launch of Apollo 17 as invited guests of NASA.
Ever since reading about the design of the Skylab 1 patch in an article written by the artist Frank Kelly Freas in 1973, Tim dreamed about creating a patch for a flight crew, to use his artistic talent to contribute to the space program. He came close in 1985 when Bob Crippen invited him to submit designs for the first shuttle mission scheduled to launch from Vandenberg Air Force Base in California, STS-62A. That mission was canceled after the Challenger accident.
In 2004 his dream finally came true when astronaut John Phillips selected Tim to design the emblem for the Expedition 11 mission to the International Space Station. When the Expedition 11 patch was unveiled, Tim was contacted by Dr. Jorge Cartes of Madrid who congratulated him and spoke of how he also wanted to design mission patches. Tim responded that if the opportunity ever arose again, they would collaborate.
In 2007 Tim was selected by the STS-126 Crew to design their mission emblem. Knowing how much it meant to participate, Tim invited his pen pal Jorge to join him on this project. The STS-126 crew was so happy with the result that they recommended Tim and Jorge to the STS-127 crew. As each patch was completed, Tim and Jorge were recommended to more flight crews. Since 2008 they teamed to work with the astronauts of the following Space Shuttle crews: STS-129, STS-132 and STS-133*. NOTE: this is the full story about the STS-133 patch http://www.collectspace.com/news/news-030711a.html
The end of the Space Shuttle Program did not slow down demand. Tim and Jorge were proud to work with the following crews serving aboard the International Space Station during Expeditions 22, 23, 25, 26, 27, 29, 30, 34, One Year, 47, 48, 53, and 55. Over the last six years, Tim has worked with multiple Flight Directors and other NASA and industry teams to create their emblems.
Tim continues to build a reputation as someone easy to work with and increasingly in demand.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not, what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
The biggest obstacle is one that I put in my own way. In 1978 I quit college when I met my wife. I was anxious to build a life with her and did not consider the doors I was closing to career opportunities. We have been together for 44 years. I would definitely have still married her but (hindsight being 20/20 I should have gotten an art degree.)
My success is based on modest self-taught talent but a healthy dose of determination and perseverance.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
Since I could hold a pencil, I loved to draw. Eventually, I began to paint. What I am known for is helping astronauts design their mission patches. The thing I am most proud of is that hundreds of years from now, the mission patch I helped create will still be the icon for that mission.
The only thing that might set me apart from others is the number of missions I worked on. But I don’t dwell on that because there are many artists more talented than I who do the same thing.
What’s next?
Well, this question finds me at 65 years of age. My wife and I are actively retired, (I still create) and enjoy being with our children and grandchildren. Like others of our generation, we hope to travel more.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.kscartist.com NOTE: an updated and much-improved website will debut later this summer.
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kscartist/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/KSCartist/
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/kscartist
