SHORT TAKES : Bronze Tribute to JFK’s Spirit

Sculptor Isabel McIlvain is closing in on the moment of truth for her 8-foot-tall portrayal of John F. Kennedy.

Her clay statue is about to be cast in bronze, the final step before its unveiling outside the Massachusetts Capitol as the formal memorial to a beloved native son.

For older generations, the heroic image will recall the optimism and vigor embodied by Kennedy. For generations born since the young President was slain on Nov. 22, 1963, the statue offers a glimpse of the era known as Camelot.

“My wish is to portray somebody who was a magnetic leader and who had a lot of youth, a lot of hope about his role and the possibilities for America,” said McIlvain, a professor of sculpture at Boston University. McIlvain’s work, which will take about six months to cast, depicts Kennedy in a classic pose--striding into a breeze, eyes forward, elbows bent with his left hand tucked into his suit pocket. The finished $175,000 sculpture, which has been paid for through donations from citizens’ groups and schoolchildren, is scheduled for unveiling May 29, which would have been Kennedy’s 72nd birthday.