The Florida Prize in Contemporary Art is organized by the Orlando Museum of Art (OMA) to bring new recognition to the most progressive artists in the State. Each year OMA’s curatorial team surveys artists working throughout the State before inviting ten to participate. One artist is selected by an invited juror to receive a $20,000 award. Artists range from emerging to mid-career, often with a distinguished record of exhibitions and awards that reflect recognition at national and international levels. In all cases they are artists who are engaged in exploring significant ideas of art and culture in original and visually exciting ways. The Florida Prize in Contemporary Art underscores OMA’s commitment to the art of our time, and to supporting artists who live and work in our State.
This year marks the eleventh edition of the Florida Prize in Contemporary Art. Selected artists are:
Nathalie Alfonso, Eddie Arroyo, Leo Castañeda, Kelly Joy Ladd, Amanda Linares, Kandy G. Lopez, Jiha Moon, Troy Simmons, Cornelius Tulloch, and Lisu Vega.
The work of these artists is as widely varied as the range of their practices and the mediums they use, yet common threads run throughout the exhibition. This year’s Florida Prize artists address timely topics such as our connections with ancestry, personal and collective memory, and the ties that bind us together. They also explore our interwoven relationship with the environment—from urban decay, to gentrification, place-making, belonging, and the natural world as well as the virtual realm. Another recurring theme is a concern for making the unseen visible. Above all, the exhibition highlights the distinctive voices of ten artists who present poignant and impactful narratives across a wide array of mediums—including fiber, painting, paper, drawing, concrete, ceramics, immersive virtual projections, and site-specific installations. As a survey exhibition, the Florida Prize offers a vivid snapshot of the state’s cultural vitality, showcasing some of the most compelling work being produced in Florida today.
The eleventh Florida Prize in Contemporary Art is curated by Coralie Claeysen-Gleyzon, The James Cottrell & Joseph Lovett Chief Curator at the Orlando Museum of Art, and juried by Rod Bigelow, Executive Director and Chief Diversity Officer of Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art, Bentonville, Arkansas.
2025 ARTISTS:
Left to right: Amanda Linares, Jiha Moon, Nathalie Alfonso, Troy Simmons, Cornelius Tulloch, Leo Castañeda, Lisu Vega, Kelly Joy Ladd, Kandy G. Lopez, Eddie Arroyo
Nathalie Alfonso @nathalie_alfonso_studio
Eddie Arroyo @developerssurvey
Leo Castañeda @leocastaneda__
Kelly Joy Ladd @artist.kellyjoyladd
Amanda Linares @amandallinares
Kandy G. Lopez @kandyglopez
Jiha Moon @moonjiha
Troy Simmons @troysimmonsstudio
Cornelius Tulloch @corneliustulloch
Lisu Vega @lisuvega
Presented by:
Additional Support Provided by:
Gene and Inge Gross
Gail Winn, in honor of Mike Winn
George Polker and Judy Black
Lou and Gayley Lauteria
Dr. George and Leslie Andreae
MaryBeth & Peter Brown
Tom and Kathy Cardwell
