May 16, 6 to 10 p.m.
Welcome Center
1001 Ocean Drive
Miami Beach, FL

After a somewhat dormant period and much demand, the Miami Beach Sister Cities International Program is bringing back its celebration of Miami Beach’s multicultural and pluralistic heritage. Newly renovated programs involve people of all interests and backgrounds fostering a comprehensive and all-encompassing relationship between the City of Miami Beach and its partners abroad.

As part of its renewed programs, in 2011 the City of Miami Beach is hosting an international art exhibition in celebration of the City’s 11 sister cities, which represent the following countries: Brazil, Canada, Colombia, Israel, Italy, Japan, Mexico, Peru, and Spain.

Please join us on Opening Night, May 16, 2011 from 6 to 10 p.m. at the new and beautifully renovated Welcome Center, 1001 Ocean Drive, Miami Beach, Fl. The event is free and open to the public. Refreshments and hors d’Å“uvres will be served.

The exhibition will run through May 27, 2011. The Welcome Center is open 9:30 am to 5:00 pm daily, including weekends.

In addition, the exhibition will feature the Young Artists Showcase. Since 1988, the Sister Cities International Young Artists Showcase has encouraged youth from around the globe to consider the honorable mission of Sister Cities International and express their interpretation of that mission promoting peace through mutual respect, understanding, cooperation through one individual, one community at a time. Hundreds of artists have shared their talent with the sister cities community over the past 20 years.

Artists featured and countries represented, are as follows:
Brazil: Cecilia Lueza, Fernanda Meirelles, Silvana Soriano
Canada: Iran Plata, Vince
Colombia: Angela Ales, Cristina Chacon, Salomon Khammi
Israel: Ruth Bloch, Ruben Cukier, Neta Levi
Italy: Mila Hajjar, Mario Spallino
Mexico: Ana Maria Sarlat
Miami Beach: Sid Daniels, Janet M. Muller, Jacqueline Roch, George Rodez (Curator)
Peru: Anica Shpilberg, Reynaldo Nuñez Simbort
Spain: Joan Abello, Pepa Poch, Josep Puigmarti (Featured image: Somewhere in the Cosmos, Mixed media on canvas, 51” x 77”)

Congratulations to the 2010 Young Artists Showcase Winners, whose works will be be part of this international art exhibition!
Grand Prize Winners:
Andrew Sossa, Columbia Heights, MN
Kaho Kosugi, Fujisawa City, Japan (Sister City of Miami Beach, FL)

Finalists: Emanuel Sayes, Culver City, CA, Savion Mingo, Buffalo, NY, Melissa Peterson, Elkhart, IN, Olivia Fletcher, Stillwater, OK, Takuto Tanaka, Fukui City, Japan (Sister City of New Brunswick, NJ), Anete Vidnere, North Down, N. Ireland (Sister City of Virginia Beach, VA), Su Xi, Beihai, China (Sister City of Tulsa, OK), Ekatrina Vlasova, Sarov, Russia (Sister City of Los Alamos, NM)