1-01-2024 4:57am

A Tribute to John Kennedy | Dec 28, 2023 - Jan 11, 2024

Anita Johnson-Brown Editor

Anita Johnson-Brown|The Los Angeles News

Famed sculptor John Kennedy (1931-2004) has been a favorite among Hollywood celebs and collectors worldwide. His life-size sculptures can be seen in national plaza installations, including the Spirit of Audrey (Hepburn) at the United Nations in New York City, as well as in educational, hospital, and theatrical centers. In 1980, Kennedy moved to Palm Springs with his family and dedicated his time to sculpture. His daughter Tara grew up in Palm Springs and is flying to London with her children to commemorate her father's work.

The visit is being planned to honor the 20th anniversary of Kennedy's passing and to attend the annual Palm Springs International Film Festival, which awards recipients with the Kennedy statuette, The Entertainer. The Entertainer is a playful yet elegantly posed jester that represents Kennedy's humor and love of the arts. It was first presented in 1997 as a Lifetime Achievement Award to Lauren Bacall.

Kennedy's lean sculptured figures are symbolic of the Mogok women of Burma, where he lived as a boy with his Burmese mother and Scottish father. After joining the British Merchant Navy, he became a photographer and successful nightclub owner in London. Throughout Europe, he continued to study art through classes and apprenticeships. When he moved to the desert with his wife and two daughters in 1980, Kennedy continued to be active as an entrepreneur and inventor. However, to Tara, her father's complete dedication to art was a natural shift.

As a sculptor, John Kennedy spread universal harmony, humor, and love for humanity, friends, and family. Tara is honored to be a part of this legacy and describes her father as her hero, best friend, and the "most inspiring person" in her life.

CODA Gallery has represented John Kennedy since the 1990s. Below is a partial listing of the sculptures in the exhibition. To view all current Kennedy inventory, click here.

To learn more about the Palm Springs International Film Festival, click here.