28.8.09

NATIONAL PORTRAIT GALLERY EXHIBITS PORTRAIT OF EDWARD KENNEDY


THE SMITHSONIAN'S NATIONAL PORTRAIT GALLERY INSTALLED A PORTRAIT OF SENATOR EDWARD M KENNEDY BY ANDY WARHOL. IT WENT ON VIEW WHEN THE MUSEUM OPENED TO THE PUBLIC AT 11:30am IN A FIRST FLOOR GALLERY THAT IS DESIGNATED FOR REMEMBRANCE OF RECENTLY DECEASED INDIVIDUALS REPRESENTED IN THE GALLERY'S COLLECTION. WARHOL'S SILK-SCREENED PORTRAIT OF KENNEDY WAS CREATED IN 1980 TO RAISE FUNDS FOR KENNEDY'S CAMPAIGN FOR THE DEMOCRATIC PRESIDENTIAL NOMINATION. A SPECIAL FEATURE OF THE HISTORIC PRINT IS WARHOL'S USE OF THE COLOURS OF THE AMERICAN FLAG WHICH SUGGESTS THE GLAMOUR OF POLITICS BY ENHANCING THE CANDIDATE'S FEATURES WITH THIN RED AND BLUE LINES AND DIAMOND DUST. THE PORTRAIT GALLERY ACQUIRED THE PORTRAIT IN 2000.

ELECTED TO THE UNITED STATES SENATE IN 1962, EDWARD KENNEDY OWED HIS EARLY SUCCESS TO HIS CLOSE IDENTIFICATION WITH HIS ELDER BROTHERS, PRESIDENT JOHN F KENNEDY, WHOSE SENATE TERM HE COMPLETED, AND ATTORNEY GENERAL ROBERT F KENNEDY. PRAISING THEIR COMMITMENT TO PUBLIC SERVICE, HE ACKNOWLEDGED, "I'M VERY PROUD OF THAT ASSOCIATION." KENNEDY WAS ELECTED TO A FULL SIX-YEAR TERM IN 1964 AND WAS REELECTED SEVEN MORE TIMES. KNOWN FOR HIS ORATORICAL SKILLS, KENNEDY'S 1968 EULOGY FOR HIS BROTHER ROBERT AND HIS 1980 DEMOCRATIC NATIONAL CONVENTION RALLYING CRY FOR AMERICAN LIBERALISM WERE AMONG HIS BEST KNOWN SPEECHES. HE BECAME KNOWN AS "THE LION OF THE SENATE" THROUGH HIS LONG TENURE AND INFLUENCE. MORE THAN 300 BILLS THAT KENNEDY AND HIS STAFF WROTE WERE ENACTED INTO LAW, INCLUDING LAWS ADDRESSING IMMIGRATION, CANCER RESEARCH, HEALTH INSURANCE, APARTHEID, DISABILITY DISCRIMINATION, AIDS CARE, CIVIL RIGHTS, MENTAL HEALTH BENEFITS, CHILDREN'S HEALTH INSURANCE, EDUCATION AND VOLUNTEERING. AT THE TIME OF HIS DEATH, HE WAS CONTINUING TO WORK ON UNIVERSAL HEALTH CARE LEGISLATION, WHICH IS OFTEN DESCRIBED AS HIS "LIFE'S WORK".

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