February 16, 2024
Pathways Prize Graphic with orange and white stripes and shapes

Pathways 2024: The Carlos Malamud Prize Exhibition and Competition for Emerging Florida Artists

Orlando, FL – February 2024 The Rollins Museum of Art and the UCF Art Gallery at the University of Central Florida are pleased to announce the finalists for the second iteration of their collaborative exhibition and competition for emerging Florida artists, Pathways 2024: The Carlos Malamud Prize.

The competition, which takes place biannually, considers applications by artists who reside in Florida, are beginning their careers, and have not yet had solo exhibitions at a museum or major gallery.

A selection of finalists (this year, seven) are chosen by a board of jurors to then group-exhibit together in the summer, split between two exhibition spaces at RMA and UCF. This year, the group exhibition will open May 30, 2024. From there, an overall winner will then be selected for the competition’s grand reward: a $10,000 cash prize, a solo exhibition at the UCF Art Gallery in the fall of 2025, a consulting session with a financial advisor (to discuss the financial aspects of a sustainable art practice), and a juror position for the next Pathways competition.

The exhibition is supported in part by the Pabst-Steinmetz Foundation; the funding for the prize is generously provided by Mr. Carlos Malamud of Miami, FL.

This year’s three jurors are:

Ginger Gregg Duggan, the founding partner of c2 – curatorsquared, which develops exhibitions of international, cross-media contemporary art and design that explore current cultural issues

Dennis Scholl, a visual artist, contemporary art collector, and award-winning documentary filmmaker focusing on arts and culture

Eugene Ofori Agyei, the Ghana-born, currently New York-based artist and winner of the Pathways 2022: Carlos Malamud Prize

This year’s seven Pathways 2024: The Carlos Malamud Prize finalists are:

Jonathan Sanchez Noa (Cuban, b. 1994)

Samuel Aye-Gboyin (Ghanaian, b. 1991)

Patricia L. Cooke (American, b. 1988)

Tenee’ Hart (American, b. 1988)

Diego Alejandro Waisman (Argentinian American, b. 1979)

Fernando Ramos (American, b. 1994)

Clio Yang (Chinese, b. 1997)

While the Pathways competition is still young, in just two years it has proven to us that there exists a great quantity, quality, and diversity of artists practicing in the state of Florida. It has both advanced the careers of finalists and its winner alike, and, no less importantly, has exposed all involved to great talent.

Eugene Ofori Agyei, winner of the Pathways 2022: Carlos Malamud Prize, remarks: “The prize was a great honor. Looking at the trajectory in my career and being young in the game, I’m grateful for what is happening and for how much progress I have been able to make after receiving the award.”

Consistent engagement over time is what makes Pathways unique and transformative among other art competitions. It hopes to nurture emerging artists and provide a “pathway” to success, which ultimately coincides with the core missions of both presenting institutions.

We look forward to extending more details about the summer group exhibition featuring this year’s finalists very soon. The show will include a variety of media, themes, scales, and approaches. Learn more about the artists and jurors: here