Amplifier and Getty Announce Student Winners of “In Pursuit of ______” Open Call for Photography

34 winning artworks selected from over 1,500 submissions

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Composite of three photographs: three women wearing masks sitting together on a playground, aerial view of a road in between trees and a dirt path, a young woman with her fists in the air

Left to right: Stronger Together, 2020, Kaya Tallman. Imagine if there were no trees, 2020, J Darracq. Our Future, Our Choice, Our Fight, 2020, Lindsey Jarrett

Photos courtesy of the artists

Jan 12, 2021

The nonprofit design lab Amplifier and the J. Paul Getty Museum are pleased to announce the winners of “In Pursuit of ______”, a joint open call for photography from students ages 13–19.

Selected from more than 1,500 submissions from teenagers around the country, the 34 winning artworks will be displayed as large-scale projections in New York City, Los Angeles, Seattle, Washington D.C., and Anchorage and will be shared by both organizations’ social media channels starting on January 19, 2021.

The winning artworks were chosen for their thoughtful and creative responses to the theme of “In Pursuit of ______,” inspired by the famous Declaration of Independence phrase, “Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness.” Looking toward 2021, the prompt invited teenagers to reflect on their own lives, consider the state of the world, and inspire others through their unique artistic vision.

The panel of judges includes Assistant Curator in the Department of Photographs Mazie Harris, Associate Director for collections Richard Rand, and Interpretive Content Specialist Tuyet Bach at the J. Paul Getty Museum; Amplifier’s Creative Director Aaron Huey and Executive Director Cleo Barnett; artists Chip Thomas, Joanna Toruño, and Phil America; photographers Arlene Mejorado and Chuck Grant; and curator Maceo Paisley.

“The J. Paul Getty Museum is proud to partner with Amplifier to assemble this impressive body of work from young people across the nation,” says Keishia Gu, head of education at the J. Paul Getty Museum. “In a time of isolation and limitations, we are inspired by the passion and motivation of burgeoning photographers to explore a message of systematic change and opportunity, which highlights the Getty Unshuttered theme, ‘In Pursuit of ______.’”

Hailing from California, Colorado, Connecticut, Illinois, Massachusetts, Ohio, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Texas, and Utah, the open call winners thoughtfully address themes of social tolerance, access to education, climate change, immigration, and endurance in the face of COVID-19.

“Each of the winners is unique in their impressive artistic vision and thoughtful response to the world around them. Together, along with all 1,500 of the submissions, they represent the diversity of the hopes and dreams of the next generation,” said Amplifier Executive Director Cleo Barnett. “Along with the J. Paul Getty Museum, Amplifier is proud to give a platform to America’s youth, and hopes that these artworks can be used to inspire discussion about the future.”

Educators around the country were able to utilize the free “In Pursuit of ______” teaching guides. “My students ran with the “In Pursuit of ______” project—I used it as a final project in both my photography and graphic design classes. The video went a long way to show the kids the process and was super helpful… It really gave them a chance to reflect on their world and express their ideas thoughtfully,” said an educator about the experience.

“In Pursuit Of ______” Open Call Winners

  • Zoe Anderson
  • Nora Basler
  • Gigi Beardsley
  • Rebecca Bresnahan
  • Ava Burton
  • Abigail Choi
  • Alison Coles
  • Andrea Cruz
  • Kate Cusumano
  • J Darracq
  • Kailyn Dudukovich
  • Janelli Garcia
  • Madelyn Janisse
  • Lindsey Jarrett
  • Sydney Jones
  • Kelty Keltner
  • Maeva Lile
  • Fatima Lopez
  • Hannah Lorenzana
  • Eduardo Miranda
  • Anna Nielsen
  • Erik Pedersen
  • Aman Rampure
  • Gloria Salinas
  • Mikel Sanchez
  • Haoqing Shi
  • Zara Silvis
  • Kaya Tallman
  • Ava Terosky
  • Kyle Trefny
  • Mishelle Trejo
  • Zachary Williams
  • Alyssa Wilson

This partnership between Amplifier and the J. Paul Getty Museum expands upon a shared commitment to arts education. “In Pursuit of ______” is the theme for the third iteration of the Getty’s award-winning Unshuttered photography program, which is a platform and community for teenagers to share and expand on their passion for photography and social justice advocacy.

To accompany the “In Pursuit of ______” open call, Amplifier created their first ever informational “how to,” a 30-minute video lesson plan created by Amplifier’s founder and creative director Aaron Huey that reached the more than one million students in its Education Amplifier network, as well as the Getty’s education networks.

See all submissions to “In Pursuit of ______” on Amplifier’s website.

Getty’s Unshuttered program is generously supported by the Genesis Inspiration Foundation.

About Amplifier

Amplifier is a nonprofit design lab that makes art and media experiments to amplify the most important social movements of our time. Since 2015, we’ve commissioned over 400+ artists, distributed tens of millions of pieces of art and sent free artwork to hundreds of thousands of students across the United States.

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