According to an announcement by The Farber Foundation, the first edition of the Cuban Art Awards it sponsors will be held during the Havana Biennial. The main objective of the awards us to increase awareness of Cuban Art in the international context. Presenting the awards during the Biennial, which boasts a record number of international visitors, is a move in favor of achieving that goal. "As relationships between Cuba and the United States begin to be restored, we have seen how the Cuban Art Awards transform the Foundation´s project towards the international space", said Howard Farber, President of The Farber Foundation. "I am touched that contemporary Cuban art has become part of the cultural exchange in the midst of this new diplomatic environment". The awards are intended for Cuban artists residing in the island or abroad. An anonymous selection committee chose the candidates, and the list of finalists was handed over to a jury. Both the nominating committee members and the jurors are renowned personalities in the academic field of contemporary art, as well as curators, collectors, and writers specializing in Cuban art, local or international in origin. The winner of the Artist of the Year Award will receive US$10,000 in cash. Nominated to this honor are: Alexandre Arrechea, Luis Cruz Azaceta, Teresita Fernández, Glexis Novoa, and Lázaro Saavedra. The winner of the Young Artist of the Year (35 or less) will receive US$3,000 in cash. Nominated for this award are: Alejandro Campins, Celia & Yunior, Elizabet Cerviño, Rafael Domenech, and Carlos Martiel. The event will be hosted by the Wilfredo Lam Contemporary Art Center, the location of the 12th Havana Biennial, and the National Visual Arts Council (CNAP, in its Spanish initials). The awards ceremony will take place at the Wilfredo Lam Center on May 20th, 4 pm, by invitation only.