Saint John Artist Has Unique Lunar Landing Connection

A Saint John artist is feeling nostalgic about the 50th anniversary of the moon landing.

Norm Jackson has a painting that illustrates the spirit of the late John Kennedy smiling down on the Apollo 11 astronauts on the moon’s surface.

Jackson says he was a big fan of JFK and the idea came to him in a dream in 1969.

“When he died I was very disappointed and as the moon landing approached, they started speaking about ‘Kennedy’s dream’ so I woke up one night with this vision in the middle of the night. And that’s how it came.” Jackson said.

He says the astronauts of the Apollo 11 mission felt like the spirit of Kennedy was travelling with them and he tells us when he looks at the painting, he sees a proud father giving approval for a job well done.

Saint John artist Norm Jackson has a commemorative coin associated with the moon landing in 1969. pic.twitter.com/uEoOv6kegE

— Tamara Steele (@tamarasteele1) July 19, 2019

The painting hangs in the Neil Armstrong museum in Ohio and Jackson tells he got a letter from him.

“When I called him on the phone, I told him I would like him to have it so I sent it to the Neil Armstrong museum.  He wrote me a letter saying he was very honoured to receive it,” he said.

Jackson called it a precious letter. “I mean, who has a letter from the first man on the moon,” he said.

Norm Jackson will have prints of his painting at the Moonlight Bazaar on Saturday night in Uptown Saint John.