MDC Museum of Art + Design and CINTAS Foundation Announce 2016-17 CINTAS Knight Foundation Fellowship Finalists

Miami, September 9, 2016 – Miami Dade College (MDC) Museum of Art + Design, home of the CINTAS Fellows Collection and the CINTAS Foundation announce this year’s finalists for the annual CINTAS Knight Foundation Fellowship Competition. A reception and awards presentation will take place on Saturday, October 8, 2016, at the college’s iconic Freedom Tower. The reception will commence at 6pm and award announcements will begin promptly at 7pm.

The MDC Museum of Art + Design at the Freedom Tower will be exhibiting the visual arts finalists’ work through December 30, 2016. The exhibition, which features works by each of the visual arts finalists, is free and open to the public.

CINTAS Knight Foundation Fellowship in the Visual Arts Finalists: Pavel Acosta-Proenza, Aurora de Armendi, Ivan Toth Depeña, Vanessa Diaz, Liliana Garcia-Roig, Diana Guerrero-Macia, Gabriel Martinez, Hugo Patao, Carlos Rigau, Norberto Rodriguez, Juana Valdes

The jury: Amada Cruz, Director, Phoenix Art Museum; Stephen Maine, The School of Visual Arts, New York; Dominic Molon, Curator, RISD Museum; Shannon Stratton, Chief Curator; Museum of Art and Design, New York; Helen Toomer, Director, Pulse Contemporary Art Fair

“We are most appreciative of the Knight Foundation’s on-going grant for the Visual Arts,” said CINTAS Foundation Board President Hortensia E. Sampedro. “Their vision in supporting CINTAS Fellows allows for the continued evolution of this unique fellowship.”

The competition, marking its 53rd year, is open to painting, sculpture, installation art, photography, video and the media arts. The Fellowship includes a $15,000 award to carry out the artist’s project as submitted. The blue-ribbon jury is comprised of national and international jurors of standing. “The CINTAS Foundation helps foster the next generation by providing recognition and funding to artists at a critical time in their professional development,” said Victoria Rogers, vice president of arts for Knight Foundation.

The prestigious competition has recognized creative accomplishments by Cuban artists of the diaspora in the various artistic movements over the last five decades. It is unique in its depth and breadth and historic as well as artistic significance of a prolific and significant period in Cuban arts.

Winners are invited to become part of the CINTAS Fellows Collection through their artistic donations to the one-of-a-kind collection of Cuban art unique in its representation of the increasingly important works of said artists and creative movements since 1963. It is also one of the largest bodies of Cuban art outside of Cuba.