Latino Art Beat (LAB), a national Chicago-based not-for profit arts organization, was hosted last week by the D.C. Mayors Office on Latino Affairs (MOLA) in recognizing the local D.C. Latino Art Beat art competition winners and honoring the 2023 National Winner, who hails for the first time in decades from Washington, D.C. Isabela Cysne attended School without Walls (“SWW”) in D.C. SWW offers a college-preparatory academic curriculum.  Students in the GW Early College Program graduate with a high school diploma from School without Walls and an Associate of Arts degree from George Washington University. SWW has participated with the D.C. Latino Art Beat program for years and previously has taken honorable mention places in LAB’s milestone art competition themed “What Hispanic Heritage and Culture Means to Me?” The National Winner, Isabela Cysne (“Izzy”) was awarded a $20,000 college scholarship through the collaboration between the Maryland Institute College of Art (MICA) and Latino Art Beat. MICA Associate Vice President Jason Morgan and Don Rossi Nuccio presented Isabela with her award. MICA gave gift bags to all the D.C. student winners. Brazilian Minster Sperando presented Isabela with a congratulatory letter from the Brazilian Ambassador, as Isabela is of Brazilian descent. Her winning artwork, “Santa da Compaixao”, is a representation of the Virgin Mary dressed in a native Brazilian Bahia white dress. The 1st Place D.C. winner, the very talented Piero Rey Roque (West Potomac High School) was presented with a $1,000 scholarship by Latino Art Beat to attend college. Piero’s artwork titled “Capt. Flipper Encounters Chief Victoria”, will be displayed at the upcoming 25th Anniversary Miami Latino Art Beat art gallery show. For more information or to learn more about Latino Art Beat, email latinoartbeat@hotmail.com

Photo Credit: Latino Art Beat