“Wasn’t it Pretty” is a submission by Californian Kelty Keltner, who is among the student winners of the “In Pursuit of__” photography contest.
(photo by Kelty Keltner, courtesy of the Getty)

The nonprofit design lab Amplifier and the J. Paul Getty Museum announced the winners of “In Pursuit of__,”  a joint open call for photography from students ages 13 to 19. Selected from over 1,500 submissions from teenagers around the country, the 34 winning artworks will be displayed as large-scale projections in Los Angeles, New York City, Seattle, Washington, D.C. and Anchorage and is being shared by both organizations’ social media channels.

The winning artworks were chosen for 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 J. Paul Getty Museum is proud to partner with Amplifier to assemble this impressive body of work from young people across the nation,” said Keishia Gu, head of education at the Getty . “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____.’”

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,” Amplifier Executive Director Cleo Barnett said. “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 free teaching guides.

This partnership between Amplifier and the Getty expanded upon a shared commitment to arts education. “In Pursuit of__” is the theme for the third iteration of the Getty’s 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 an informational “how to,” a 30-minute video lesson plan created by Amplifier’s founder and creative director Aaron Huey that reached more than 1 million students in its Education Amplifier network, as well as the Getty’s education networks.

All submissions to “In Pursuit of ___” can be viewed at community.amplifier.org/campaign/in-pursuit-of.