Vice President Cedeño Presides Award Ceremony of 5th National Art Contest for Youth and Values

Santo Domingo, March 29, 2019 – The Vice President of the Dominican Republic, Dr. Margarita Cedeño, presided this Thursday over the award ceremony of the 5th National Art Contest for Youth and Values, where nine young painters were distinguished for their talent. This year, the contest´s theme was “Art for a Better World.” The goal of this year´s contest is to stimulate the overall development of young artists.
Fifty-nine young painters from all over the country participated in this year´s contest. All presented works that highlighted important issues of the 2030 Sustainable Agenda, such as elimination of poverty, protecting the plant and guaranteeing prosperity for all.
The contest is sponsored by the Ministry of Culture, the Gallery of Fine Arts, the United Nations, the Art Alliance 2030 DR, “Progresando con Solidaridad (Prosoli)” and the High Level Inter-Institutional Commission for Sustainable Development and the Ministry of the Economy, Planning and Development.
The Director General of the “Progresando con Solidaridad” Program, highlighted the work carried out by the Office of the Vice President to encourage the work of young people throughout the country. [We celebrate the talent and the utopias of young Dominicans, who dream of a just and better world, where men and women can be equal and the planet remain green.”
At the same time, the Director of the Fine Arts Gallery, Marianne de Tolentino, thanked Vice President Dr. Margarita Cedeño for the support her Office has provided young talented Dominicans during the last five years through the Art Contest.
The Winners
First place winner was artist Luis Williams Angeles Martinez, from the city of Santiago, for his painting titled “Sustainable Union,” who received a cash award of US$2,000. Second place winner was Bryan José Hutchison Núñez, from the National District, for his creation “Raising Awareness for a Better World.” He received a US$1,500 award. Third place was issued to Narciso Rincon Rodriguez, from the town of Yamasa, for his painting “The Girl with the Blue Stool.” He received a US$1,000 award.
Winners of Honorable Mentions (US$500 each) were: José Emmanuel Peguero Tejada, with his piece “Unaware Society;” Julio César Hernández Mejía, for his painting “The Taylor,” and Manaury Calasan Polanco, for his painting “Taking in the Source of Life.”

Other special mentions, issued by the jury, went to Johanny Berenice Gómez Paulino, for her painting “You Are Always with Me;” Félix Argenio Montero Mateo for “Scenes from Life;” and Katheryn Cabrera Santana, for “Loli; An Undeniable New Life.”

The winning art works will be exhibited at the National Gallery of Fine Arts and will be included in a special catalog sponsored by the Office of the Vice President and other sponsoring institutions.

El concurso se realiza también junto a más de 80 colectivos de arte con la finalidad de posicionar las voces artísticas en el marco de la Agenda 2030, que forman parte de la Alianza Arte 2030 del Sistema de las Naciones Unidas y la Comisión ODS País. La iniciativa estuvo dirigida a pintores de 18 a 35 años de edad, nacionales o extranjeros residentes en el país, con un mínimo de cinco años, quienes inspiraron sus obras en uno de los 17 ODS o en una compilación de varios.

The Office of the Vice President, through the Social Policies Cabinet, coordinates the Commission for Sustainable Development, which is in charge of working with the 17 goals included in the 2030 Agenda.

The award ceremony was headed by Vice President Cedeño; Minister of Culture Eduardo Selman; Altagracia Suriel, Prosoli Director; Marianne de Tolentino, Director of the National Gallery of Fine Arts; Carmelo Gallardo, U.N. Representative in the D.R. Carmelo Gallardo; Luis Ortega, from the Ministry of the Economy, Planning and Development, and Katherine Cabrera, who represented the participating artists.