Ted Kennedy’s painting of his son Patrick’s boat. – Courtesy Mary Amons
While Sen. Edward Kennedy was receiving the bad news of his cancer diagnosis on Monday night, his paintings were bringing smiles to the faces of his fellow art lovers at a show in Great Falls.
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Two prints of Kennedy’s paintings were on display — one of his boat and another of his son Patrick’s boat. The latter work is his latest; he recently gave the original to Patrick.
Also on hand for the event: Rep. Frank Wolf, R-Va., who was there supporting his artist wife, Carolyn, Alexandria businessman Steve DeLonga and social butterfly Mary Amons.
The connection: All have studied under artist Pat Mercer Hutchen, who, as head of Washington Artworks, has been teaching members of Congress, their wives and other local VIPs for 30 years at her home in Great Falls.
Hutchens has been teaching Kennedy privately since 1992. In that year, Kennedy secured a private room in the Capitol for Hutchens once a week, so senators and congressmen could paint. They ultimately donated their works to a fundraising auction for the National Museum of the American Indian. In addition to Kennedy, Sens. Ted Stevens and Christopher Dodd and Rep. Wolf participated in the program./>
