The NASA Arts Program was established more than 40 years ago by NASA Administrator James Webb who realized that art could be a creative and lasting way to document the nation's space exploration program. When Manhasset native, artist Barbara Ernst Prey, was commissioned by NASA to paint the International Space Station she joined an elite group of American artists who have been invited by NASA to document space history including Norman Rockwell and Robert Rauschenberg.

NASA had also commissioned Prey to do a painting to commemorate the anniversary of the Columbia Tragedy. Barbara commented that "I was asked to do a painting as a tribute to the fallen Columbia Shuttle and in February 2004 there was a presentation at the Smithsonian Air and Space Museum where NASA made prints and presented them to the families. It was so moving for me to be part of that, and to know how much it meant to the people. We saw the shuttle in the I-Max theatre, a story of the lives of the astronauts, and I was embarrassed when they acknowledged me and I had to stand. I really did not want to be recognized but I got to see how my work affected people, and it was very rewarding."

In 2003 NASA commissioned Prey to do a painting of The International Space Station and in 2004 NASA asked Prey if they could make prints of her painting, which now hangs at NASA headquarters, for retiring NASA head Sean O'Keefe to be presented to the heads of the space agencies of Japan, Canada, Europe, Russia and the United States in recognition of "outstanding cooperation on the International Space Station program." Prey reminisced saying "sometimes I think of how we grew up, the fear of the Cold War, and now the Americans and Russians are cooperating. Here we are years later signing prints to the heads of the Russian and American space agencies for their mutual cooperation and teamwork. The Russians have helped a lot because we have a grounded space shuttle-nothing has flown since the Columbia tragedy, and Russians transport items to our space stations."

Barbara's earliest memories are of Manhasset. "We moved to Manhasset in 1955 so I was born and grew up in Strathmore Vanderbilt. My mother was an artist, she was the head of the design department at Pratt Institute before she was married, and it was an influence, especially being in her studio. Her studio was always set up and I could always just walk in. She was not in my face, it was subtle, she encouraged me but I feel I found art on my own. I could see the Sound from there, a winter water view. I guess that is why they named the street we lived on Sound View Crest. Growing up in Strathmore Vanderbilt was wonderful, the people are still my friends. All those big families. It was such a wonderful place to grow up, so warm. If you did not see your neighbors in school you spent the summers with them, or played on a team with them. And, I grew up with a wonderful studio to work in. At the age of 9 I was in my first juried show. It was in Locust Valley and it was all adults. My mother won best in show and I was entered as an adult so it was very exciting."

Prey received another commission from NASA to paint the X-43, the fastest moving aircraft in the world, which recently flew at Mach 10.

"Now I am working on the X-43" she said in early 2005, "the fastest aircraft in the world. In November of 2004 I was flown out to Edwards Air Force Base in California for the launching of the X-43. It was a test flight and it went 10 times the speed of sound and took decades to perfect the technology. I watched the launch from the Mohave Desert and now am trying to figure out how to represent it. I'm trying to convey the speed of sound."

In June 2004, Prey was named a Woman of Distinction by New York State. She joins previous honorees Susan B. Anthony, Harriet Truman and Eleanor Roosevelt. The Women of Distinction program was created in 1998 to honor New York women whose achievements and contributions to society merit them special recognition.

Prey also enjoys international exposure. Her paintings are on exhibit at the U.S. Embassies in Oslo and Minsk through the U.S. State Department's Arts in Embassies Program and the President and First Lady invited her to paint the official 2003 White House Christmas Card which was sent to heads of State around the world.

"I was invited to Oslo by Ambassador Ong" she disclosed, "to give a symposium with him about Businesses Supporting the Arts for the Norwegian business community. He is former CEO of B.F. Goodrich and was President of Business and the Arts, founded by David Rockefeller. I was also invited to Prague, where I had a painting on exhibit through the Arts in Embassies Program and gave a lecture about my work and the paintings I did in response to 9/11."

Barbara Ernst Prey graduated from Williams College, earned a master's degree from Harvard University and received a Fulbright Scholarship as well as a grant from the Henry Luce Foundation, enabling her to travel, study, work and exhibit extensively in Europe and Asia. And, while she has had an illustrious career so far, her launching pad was Munsey Park Elementary School and Manhasset High School. "I always doodled on my papers," Prey said, "and was the art editor for the Munsey Park School paper. I was always involved in art. The high school still has a painting of mine hanging in the hallway."