'Kinkade' Sheds More Than Light

"We came home to a dark house every night," he says. "That light [in my paintings] was compensating for the shadows that were always present in my life growing up."

Smithsonian 'Monuments'

Want to turn your elementary-school glory into a work of art at the Smithsonian? New York-based artist Jean Shin is asking Washington area residents to send their old trophies to her for "Everyday Monuments," a huge art installation that will be on display at the Smithsonian American Art Museum next spring.

Shin is known for creating sculptures out of such scavenged materials as umbrellas, discarded lottery tickets and empty pill bottles. Trophies are perfect for a Washington project because the city is "highly competitive and highly achieving," she says.

The 37-year-old artist was born in Seoul, grew up in Bethesda and attended Walt Whitman High School. As a high school senior, she won a Presidential Scholars award and got the chance to display her paintings in the Smithsonian.

For "Everyday Monuments," Shin wants only trophies with figurines at the top. She will be transforming their poses to resemble actions in everyday life. Think baseball players swinging brooms instead of bats.

Shin won't be able to contribute any of her own awards to the 1,500 or so that she hopes to collect: "Art camps don't typically give out trophies."

Drop off your trophies between 11:30 a.m. and 7 p.m. at SAAM's Luce Foundation Center information desk on the third floor, Eighth and F streets NW. The deadline is Dec. 13.