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WINNER

Mary McClure
Take Us To The Stars

Oil on canvas

“John F. Kennedy is one of those presidents who stands out from the rest in history class. He was the man who de-escalated the Cold War, established the Peace Corps, and led us to the Moon. I am inspired by the courage he displayed in his time as President, the courage to reach for the stars. He showed future generations the path to the stars and he challenged us to do what seemed impossible. He imagined what we could be, and encouraged us to see the same.

Kennedy had the courage and the insight to lead our country in a crucial moment of our history. He overcame the divisiveness concerning Cuba and the threat of communist regimes by unifying the country in the pursuit of a common goal—an extraordinary and exoplanetary one at that. As a leader he was positively prismatic. I knew I wanted to incorporate the Moon into my piece because even if he never lived to see his mission realized, putting the first man on the Moon was a direct result of his personal courage and ambition. I also knew I wanted to incorporate a child, because courage to me is something communal, something to be shared, and something that Kennedy inspired in others and especially in the next generation. As President, his courage gave the whole country a chance to develop courage in their own hearts and minds.”

HONORABLE MENTION

Sara Bailey
Freedom

Acrylic paint

Spartanburg, SC (Age 17)

“My piece was inspired by the Space Race, which I believe represented the ideals of freedom JFK strived for during his presidency. By expanding the United States’ space program, he was competing against the Soviets for space, which would give us an advantage in the Cold War. He wanted to land a man on the moon successfully before the end of the decade, but unfortunately, he did not live to see his dream come true. One of the his achievements in the Space Race he did get to see, however was the Mercury-Atlas 6 flight, which had the first American to orbit the Earth. I chose to represent this by incorporating the Friendship 7 into the portrait of Kennedy, with the entire composition resembling an American Flag to further reinforce the connection of Kennedy and the Space Race to freedom. I also used bold colors for the piece inspired by the Pop Art movement that occurred during his presidency.”

HONORABLE MENTION

Anya Huang
Father and Daughter

Pencil

Great Falls, VA (Age 14)

“The inspiration for this piece was the relationship between John F. Kennedy and his daughter. While looking for inspiration I came across multiple photographs including Kennedy’s family and was therefore empowered to create the final result. The determination of JFK as well as all his successes impact me as an artist by motivating and reminding me to keep going even if the situation seems rough. ²ÝÝ®ÊÓƵÃâ·Ñ°æapp played a role in this specific piece; in detail, due to the Kennedy Center being built as a memorial to the assassination of JFK, it proves the significance of this figure and therefore gives the piece an even greater audience and impact.”

HONORABLE MENTION

Micaylah Jones
Rose Garden

Digital Painting

White Plains, MD (Age 22)

“I was inspired to create this piece after learning that JFK had restarted the White House’s rose garden. I thought that it was a symbol of what JFK and his legacy stands for. Resilience and hope in times of uncertainty. Though life has its thorns it blossoms into something beautiful and though JFK’s presidency was marked by turbulence he found a way to inspire hope and resilience through it all. I believe this had the most impact on me as an artist and is what impacted the piece I created. In my piece I hope to communicate this hope, resiliency, and dedication to service that defined his presidency and inspired so many.”

HONORABLE MENTION

Alex Mormorunni
Serving His Vision

Acrylic and Oil

Mill Valley, CA (Age 18)

“A very significant aspect of Kennedy’s character, and what particularly fascinates me about him, is just how much he accomplished at such a young age. As an 18-year-old myself, it’s inspirational to see how even at my age he had completely dedicated himself to service. In his early 20s he served his country and made himself a war hero. From there he represented his country while barely even in his 30s. He was hardworking, gracious, and one of the best and brightest of his era. I have found it nice to have this portrait I painted of him hanging in my room. I can look up at him on my wall and draw motivation to go after my own artistic pursuits with the same vigor and drive that he went after his political ones.”

HONORABLE MENTION

Ann Potter
Ut Prosim

Acrylic on Canvas

Owings, MD (Age 18)

“Visually, my painting was inspired by two images on the Kennedy Center’s website: one was a photograph of John F. Kennedy and the other a photograph of the Grand Foyer with sunshine beaming through the windows. I translated the photo of Kennedy into geometric shapes in an effort to deconstruct the subject. In terms of the message I aimed to send through my painting, I was inspired by Kennedy’s genuine commitment to service. I choose an image of Kennedy looking upward to reflect optimism and hope for the future as conveyed in his inaugural address. The reason these words were so powerful is because they were spoken by him—a man who had dedicated his life to public service and understood that together we can accomplish much more than we can alone. Each of the geometric shapes in my painting are intended to suggest this idea that while each one is different, together they create the whole.”

HONORABLE MENTION

Simón Ramirez
Kennedy's Vision

Graphite, Colored Pencil, Acrylic on Paper

Blanco, TX (Age 17)

“I began the process of creating this piece by learning more about President Kennedy and reflecting on what his life and accomplishments meant to me. Having made the first moon landing possible is perhaps John F. Kennedy’s most famous accomplishment. Additionally, I found his time in the navy to be very interesting and compelling. This, as well as President Kennedy’s most famous quote, ‘Ask not what your country can do for you; ask what you can do for your country,’ inspired me to choose service as the central theme of this portrait. I drew the President looking up and away, signifying his role as a visionary leader. The navy-colored suit references his service as a Navy Lieutenant. To recognize Kennedy’s efforts to achieve the first moon landing, I included the night sky with the moon and a rocket in the background. The large cumulonimbus cloud symbolizes the conviction that America should stand as a ‘city upon a hill,’ representing Kennedy’s unparalleled aspirations for America and belief in the American dream.”

HONORABLE MENTION

Ivvone Zhou
Grace Under Pressure

Digital Painting

Bethesda, MD (Age 19)

“‘Grace under pressure’ is the definition of courage John F. Kennedy chose for his book, Profiles in Courage. From the action movie heroics of his time serving in the Navy to his deft political maneuvers during the Cuban missile crisis, JFK’s courage makes him so much larger than life. I drew inspiration from Norman Rockwell’s Saturday Evening Post covers to capture the optimism that JFK embodied. Shoulders back and rising above the clouds, he is presented as a confident leader poised to take on his next challenge. Mementos of JFK’s courage are woven into the picture. The medals he received as a Navy lieutenant are pinned to the page and an image of JFK on television during the Cuban Missile Crisis is displayed in his suit. JFK’s interest in space brought a modern edge to his administration and saw NASA gain ground in space—notably, sending the first American to orbit the Earth in Friendship 7. Behind him, a silver lantern representing the JFK Profile in Courage Award shines, carrying on his ideals of courage.”