June Park

June Park(b. 2008, Monterey, California) is a junior in Stevenson School at Monterey Peninsula of Northern California. She was born in Seoul raised in the United States, but shares a deep connection to her heritage and roots throughout the artworks. Her mother used to work as a designer and her father writes poetry and sketches in his free time. Inspired by them, June taught herself to draw and paint since we was a young girl and found a joy in it. June is not only a painter, but also a prolific writer in literature as an editor of school newspaper Tusitala and magazine Vialima. One of her paintings, Blossoming won the Honorable Mention and the People’s Choice Award from the Carmel Art Association and the Monterey regional gallery competition, For the Love of Art. In her sophomore year, she won Stevenson School Suzanne Runbaugh Purchase Prize which is most prestigious art award, given out once a year usually to the seniors. Her painting hangs proudly in the school hallway. “I aim to honor the transitional space between childhood and womanhood and invite viewers into a world where feminine softness and strength coexist.” Her citation highlights the emotional complexities of girlhood in its fragility, strength, and self-discovery, and by using her personal symbolism and vivid color palettes, she reflects upon her childhood identity.