Cars that make glaciers, vehicles that disinfect the earth, mobile solutions to cleaner water, and flying contraptions that save the world were among the themes of artworks created by nine young artists selected as this year’s winners of the Toyota Dream Car USA Art Contest.
From the pool of Toyota’s nine U.S. Winners, the Petersen Automotive Museum awarded Jiawei (Jery) Chen, age 14 of Florida, to receive its inaugural Petersen Prestige Award for her “Fly Higher with Toyota” drawing.
“In addition to being a well-executed artwork with a remarkable composition, the museum selected Chen’s design because it aligns with our efforts to celebrate the past, present and future of the automobile. Her vehicles harken to automobile design of the 1950s, yet she brings them into the future, imagining a world of eco-friendly flying cars,” said Autumn Nyiri, associate curator, Petersen Automotive Museum.
“Creating art makes me happy. It allows me to express my ideas visually and share my happiness with others. I wanted to create a car that was innovative in a healthy environment,” said Chen.
Now in its 10th year, the Toyota Dream Car USA Art Contest is designed to inspire creativity in youth and imagine the future of mobility. The nine U.S. youth winners and three Honorable Mention Award recipients for this year’s contest are:
U.S. WINNERS – Age Category 1 (Youth, ages 4-7 years)
Gold Award: “Gadget Toyota Car” by Hahrin Vivian Chiang, age 7, Santa Monica, California
Silver Award: “Disinfection Vehicle” by Xinyu Yi, age 6, Wellesley, Massachusetts
Bronze Award: “Pure Water Vehicle” by Lea Haeun Shin, age 6, Los Angeles, California
Honorable Mention: “Moon Car” by Olivia Yoo, age 7, South Lyon, Michigan
U.S. WINNERS – Age Category 2 (Youth, ages 8-11 years)
Gold Award: “Ocean Eco Car” by Brendan Park, age 10, Los Angeles, California
Silver Award: “Dream Car That Makes Glaciers” by Junyoung Kim, age 10, Fairfax, Virginia
Bronze Award: “Saver of Earth” by Reena Fu, age 10, Diamond Bar, California
Honorable Mention: “The Nar-Whale Car” by Grace Sun, age 10, Livingston, New Jersey
U.S. WINNERS – Age Category 3 (Youth, ages 12-15 years)
Gold Award: “Magical Bubble Car” by Chloe Hyoleen Kim, age 14, Issaquah, Washington
Silver Award: “Fly Higher with Toyota” by Jiawei (Jery) Chen, age 14, Montverde, Florida
Bronze Award: “Saving the Future” by Olivia Hur, age 12, La Crescenta, California
Honorable Mention: “Lightbulb Car” by Lynn Sun, age 12, Livingston, New Jersey
“Many of these young artists shared their joy and excitement that this contest brought to them as they imagined the future of mobility,” said Sean Suggs, group vice president, Toyota Social Innovation. “We thank the thousands of youth across the country who created amazing designs and worked so hard to create such unique works of art.”
“We are excited to exhibit the creations of these next-generation designers in the museum. These submissions have impressed all of us and we cannot wait to see them displayed,” said Terry L. Karges, executive director of the Petersen Automotive Museum.
In addition to the Petersen Automotive Museum, this year, Toyota partnered with 10 other museums, 12 school districts, and 19 dealerships across the United Statesto share information about the contest and distribute educational resources within their communities. In Los Angeles, the effort continues with a unique collaboration involving undergraduate students from California State University, Dominguez Hillswho will work over the coming summer to create 3D-printed interpretations of the contest’s award-winning designs. Toyota Motor Corporation in Japan held the first worldwide contest in 2004. Nearly 90 countries now host their own national contests. To learn about the world contest, visit www.Toyota-DreamCarArt.com. The U.S. website is www.ToyotaDreamCarUSA.com