Six awards were handed out this past weekend during MOLAA's 2008 invitational juried art competition for merging and midcareer contemporary Latin American artists. Invitations went out to 83 artists from Mexico, Central and South America, and the Caribbean and winners will not only receive cash prizes, but will have the opportunity to achieve greater exposure to new audiences for their work. Each artist donates his or her entry to the museum and the winners become part of their permanent collection; the others are offered during Auction 08 for acquisition by collectors. All proceeds benefit the museum's ongoing exhibition, collection, and education programs.Top award winners for 2008 are: Best of Show ($20,000), Leyla Cardenas (Colombia); Painting and Two-Dimensional Mixed Media ($5,000)(see image above), Rocio Rendon Castaneda (Peru); Sculpture and Three-Dimensional Mixed Media ($5,000), Angel Delgado Fuentes (Cuba); Works on Paper ($5,000), Mayra Barraza (El Salvador); Photography and Video ($5,000), Claudio Castillo (Cuba); and Honorable Mention went to Daniel Fiorda (Argentina).
More than a museum, MOLAA is a renowned cultural center that presents a wide array of special events and educational programs. It is located in the heart of the East Village Arts District of Long Beach, CA. If you in the LA area for any reason, consider dropping in to see this jewel of a museum and its fascinating collection! For more information: http://www.molaa.org