My artistic vision began with the inspiration I derived from the Apollo astronauts' accounts of seeing the Earth from space, that ecstatic vision of a living, miraculous, and fragile planet adrift in the cosmos. My work gradually evolved (from remote to intimate views) to my current series of contemporary icons of threatened and endangered species. 

My first major body of work, “Conscious Evolution: The World At One” depicts, in part, those views of Earth from a distance, accompanied by quotes by Apollo astronauts about their impressions and other thinkers that have deeply influenced my art and worldview.  After a highly successful international tour, and with the support of many generous sponsors including actor Tom Hanks, AXA Space, Xerox Corporation and Prince Sultan bin Salman bin Abdul-Aziz of Saudi Arabia, the Smithsonian Institution's National Air and Space Museum completed collecting this mixed-media art series for its permanent fine art collection in December of 2000. The Museum's art collection has more than 7,000 works, including paintings by Daumier, Goya, Rauschenberg, Rockwell and Wyeth.

Two of my pieces from this series, Spaceship Earth (upper left) and Being Whole (lower right) are on display at the Museum in the exhibition, “One World Connected.” The exhibition is slated to be on view for the next ten years. To visit the exhibition, reservations must be made in advance. To see the whole series, click on this link or watch this video of the entire series, set to an original soundtrack (13 min):

“In her interplay of imagery, words, and sound, Angela Manno evokes the promise awakening within us as we behold the beauty of our Earth in space. This promise, as real as the dangers we face, is portrayed here with rare and simple reverence.”

-- Joanna Macy, author World as Lover, World as Self