US Winners Of Toyota Dream Car Art Contest Announced

March 22, 2017 by Toyota

Nine-member Judging Panel included actor Cheech Marin and automotive designer Chung Lee of Calty Design Research, Inc.

TORRANCE, Calif., March 20, 2017 – In the future, there is nowhere cars won't go. From underwater to outer space, cars will not only provide transportation, they can help people in need, they can monitor air quality, and they can provide entertainment. Those are the visions for cars of the future by nine U.S. youth announced today as the national winners of the annual Toyota Dream Car Art Contest.

Now World Contest Semi-Finalists, the artwork by these nine youth advances to represent the United States in competing against entrants from over 80 countries. In August 2017, the top 30 World Winners will win an all-expenses-paid trip to Toyota City, Japan, and participate in an awards ceremony, which includes a tour of a Toyota manufacturing plant. The nine 2017 U.S. Winners were chosen by a national panel of nine judges who viewed artwork by 35 U.S. finalists; the latter of which had been selected by nearly 1,000 Toyota team members nationwide from a pool of 90 U.S. semi-finalists. The judges were:

Cheech Marin, Actor, Comedian, Director, and Art Collector

Karen Ideno, Vice President of Product and Marketing, Toyota Financial Services

James McKeone and Kyle Hyatt, automotive journalists and co-hosts, CarStories.com podcast for Petersen Automotive Museum

Susan Sanborn, Curator & Director, Toyota USA Automobile Museum

Dave Kunz, Eyewitness News Automotive Specialist, KABC 7

Mark Simmons, Corporate Mgr., Communications, Government Affairs and Community Relations, TFS Chung Lee, Sr. Lead Designer, Calty Design Research, Inc.

Patti Lou Richardson, Artist and retired school teacher

'As a collector, when I view art, in addition to noticing artistic quality and techniques, I am often drawn to the emotions conveyed by the artist, which stir my own feelings,' said actor and art collector Cheech Marin. 'With artwork themes ranging from global warming to world hunger, it's evident that these kids are keenly aware of what's happening around them everywhere today.'

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'These young people have given me so much hope for the future in our profession,' said automotive designer Chung Lee. 'I was not only blown away by the talent and creativity of their artwork, but the awareness of social responsibility in these young kids.'

'After six years of hosting the Toyota Dream Car Art Contest in the United States, I'm still amazed by these kids,' said Mike Groff, President and CEO of Toyota Financial Services. 'It's so inspiring to see children from diverse backgrounds construct such an array of beautiful works of art. These young artists put an incredible amount of thought, creativity, and talent into their visions of what the car of the future will look like. They make me optimistic about the future – and how we can change in the world for the better.'

The Toyota Dream Car Art Contest is a worldwide contest presented annually, designed to inspire creativity in youth and imagine the future of mobility. Winners of the Toyota Dream Car Art Contest in participating countries worldwide are chosen from three age categories (under 8 years old; 8-11 years old; and 12-15 years old), with judging based on three criteria: artistry, uniqueness, and execution of concept. The first international contest was held in 2004 by Toyota Motor Corporation in Japan. This is the 6th year of the U.S. contest.

Here are the nine U.S. winners of this year's national contest:

U.S. WINNERS - CATEGORY 1 (Under 8 Years of Age)

Gold: The Hope Car by Caleb Joshua Kuo, age 7; Montclair, CA

Silver: Our Adventure Car by Leon L. Du, age 7; Holmdel, NJ

Bronze: Toyota: World Food Truck by Grace Sun, age 6; Livingston, NJ

U.S. WINNERS - CATEGORY 2 (8-11 Years of Age)

Gold: Toyota-Stop Global Warming Car by Lynn Sun, age 8; Livingston, NJ

Silver: Gift from Sky by Leah Choi, age 10; Los Angeles, CA

Bronze: Multipurpose Space Car by Xiang Han Rocia Han, age 9; Rowland Heights, CA

U.S. WINNERS - CATEGORY 3 (12-15 Years of Age)

Gold: All-in-One Car by Timothy H. Kim, age 13; Glendale, CA

Silver: Without Music, the World Would be Flat by Christina Marie DeRosa, age 15; Tonawanda, NY

Bronze: Imagination Rabbit Car by Molly Alicia McBride, age 15; Reedsburg, WI