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Jay Kennedy Scholarship winner announced

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Medina art 1

The National Cartoonists Society Foundation (NCSF) announced the winner of the first annual Jay Kennedy Memorial Scholarship, Juana Medina, a sophomore at the Rhode Island School of Design (RISD). Medina edged out almost two hundred applicants for the award, which includes a $5,000.00 scholarship and a trip to the National Cartoonists Society’s Reuben Award convention. She was chosen by a jury of ten of the nation’s top cartoonists.

Juana Medina was born and raised in Bogota, Colombia. She completed high school in 1998 then moved to the U.S.A. where she has lived since. For two years, she studied at the Corcoran College of Art + Design in Washington, D.C. and is now majoring in Graphic Design at RISD. She is a regular contributor to the College Hill Independent, a weekly magazine produced by students at Brown University and RISD. Her work has appeared in publications in South America and has been part of collective exhibitions in Colombia and Mexico.

In her application for the award, Medina wrote: “I grew up in a country where war has been a constant since long before I was born. Our voices have been quieted by terrorist acts and constant threats from both governmental and clandestine groups, up to a point where the smell of gunpowder and the countless bomb threats became a part of our daily life … I found situations where there is little I can do to change reality, but I have found in cartooning a voice that strongly reflects my feelings and intentions. I have found a way to raise consciousness without scolding, fuming or losing my stomach to an ulcer.”

Medina will receive her award and meet the professional cartoonists who selected her at the National Cartoonists Society’s Annual Reuben Awards banquet in New Orleans on May 24th.

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Comments 17

  1. They couldn’t have given this award to an American cartoonist?!?
    C’mon people! Sheesh…(rolls eyes)

  2. Give ME a break. The girl is enrolled at a US College. That’s who is elegible, period… students enrolled in US schools. Perhaps she can take some of our values back home when she is finished with her studies here in the states. Hopefully none of your xenophobic views, though.

    For your information, JGM (and don’t forget to wear your flag pin) Rhode Island School of Design is one of the nation’s top art schools. Medina most certainly had to fight her way through a lot of other applicants to be accepted there.

  3. I agree, Paul. As soon as I read this earlier today I thought for sure some whack job was going to post some sort of crazy rhetoric, and sure enough JGM did not disappoint. All anonymously of course. Believe it or not, good cartooning DOES go beyond the boundries of the United States.

  4. I assumed JGM’s response was in jest. Too optimistic?

  5. I see all of your points of view. It’s just a shame that we have all these talented artists from the United States of America and we don’t recognize them.

    We trip over ourselves to recognize everyone BUT our “own”. I’m not dissing the winner (Juana ‘s work is tight as hell- it’s awesome work), I just think Americans (in general) really need to show some love to “our own”.

    This is part of the reason why this whole field is “dying on the vine” right now. They (NCSF) should have made a point to give this to a native born American, imho. We need to “beef up” the “farm team” so that we’ll have a stronger cartooning “landscape” in the future.

  6. -And vote for the black candidate if your black and the woman if you’re a woman and a white guy if your a white guy. Sadly, no racists for you to select from in this years selection.

  7. >>>We trip over ourselves to recognize everyone BUT our â??ownâ?. Iâ??m not dissing the winner (Juana â??s work is tight as hell- itâ??s awesome work), I just think Americans (in general) really need to show some love to â??our ownâ?.

    I think the world has seen enough of wrapping one’s self in the flag in all endeavors American. To give preference to a student art competition based on where one happened to be born in the world is not just blatant jingoism but it’s a colossally stupid notion. It’s as stupid as American baseball calling their championship series the “World Series” where teams from other countries are excluded.

  8. Another Moore?

    Or is this the same beastiality-obsessed Hellfire Moore (H. Moore) posting under different first initials? I thought we’d seen the last of that crackpot.

  9. Recognize our own….???? Well THAT’S exactly what the NCSF did.
    Her entry wasn’t a column, photo, illustration, poem, novel, sculpture or a painting, etc,etc….
    A cartoonist organization awarding a cartoon award to a cartoonist for cartoon work….what’s not our own?

  10. LOL. This is crazy. I’m not affiliated to H. Moore. LOL

  12. I’m starting to wonder if H. Moore would be more open-minded on this issue than J.G. Moore.

  13. JG isn’t the same perp as H.Moore, but he’s almost as bad:

    He’s and Indianapolis Colts fan!

    Kidding, JG…do you think H.Moore is former Lions WR Herman Moore? I always wonderd what happened to him. From WR to blog spammer? Hmmmm…

  14. OMG..Eric is that you! What’s up man. 🙂 How ’bout them Pats!!!!(smile) Two words… Helmet Catch.

  15. I am Jay Kennedy’s mom.

    I agree with the note stating that “one of your own” was selected —- a cartoonist.

    Could someone from somewhere send Juana’s address to me? I would like to send a note to her.

    Jay loved the world of cartoons good, bad or indifferent. To have had this fund established in his name means so much to me and his siblngs. It is just one step in keeping the cartoon world alive and hopefully growing. It is gratifying that there were almost 200 applicants in this first year.

  16. Dear Jean,

    I’m a past President of the National Cartoonists Society. Jay was very active in the NCS and a great and much loved friend to so many of us in the Society. We all spent many great times together, at NCS gatherings in New York, and each year at the Reuben Awards. We all have very fond memories of Jay and Sarah, and miss them much.

    Jay’s great friend Patrick McDonnell made a very moving and eloquent introduction to the Jay Kennedy Memorial Scholarship Award winner during the Reuben Awards this past weekend in New Orleans. Juana – and by extension Jay, of course – received two standing ovations and there were more than a few tears in the room. We should have DVD footage available within the next few weeks, so please send me your email address and I’ll make sure that we burn you a copy.

    In the meantime, the Scholarship is administered by our charitable arm, the National Cartoonists Society Foundation. The head of the NCSF is Daryl Cagle. He too knew Jay well for many years. Drop Daryl a note at daryl@cagle.com and I’m sure he will be happy to put you in touch with Juana.

    Warmest regards,
    Steve McGarry
    NCS President 2001-2005
    email: mac@stevemcgarry.com

  17. Jean, I can only imagine how hard it is to lose a child, no matter how old they are. I’m sorry for your loss.

    Jay had a great number of fans in the cartoon world, including myself. He was a good guy, and a great editor. He is missed.

    God bless you and your family.

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