LAST AUGUST, AS Orlando Museum of Art was ready to wrap another installment of its annual Florida Prize in Contemporary Art exhibition, Chief Curator Coralie Claeysen-Gleyzon witnessed something she hadn’t seen during her tenure at the 100-year-old institution.
The clock hit 4 p.m., which was closing time. And yet, people just wouldn’t leave. “We got so much great engagement from the public and people who resonated with the art, and it was such a beautiful thing to see,” she says.
Claeysen-Gleyzon was gratified because she believes that the Florida Prize “is a meeting ground for people to be exposed to a point of view that they weren’t familiar with, or an experience that they may never have envisioned.”
Sure, she says, the museum tries to push the envelope a little bit more every year, but that’s to be expected since the artists “are sharing experiences that come from a very deep place. They all have something to say, and it’s exciting to be a part of their journey and share it.”
The Florida Prize in Contemporary Art, now in its 11th year, has become one of OMA’s signature exhibitions. Each year the museum’s curatorial team surveys artists working throughout the state before inviting 10 to participate.
Artists range from emerging to mid-career, often with distinguished records of exhibitions and awards that reflect recognition at national and international levels. One artist receives a $20,000 award made possible by local philanthropists Gail and the late Michael Winn.
Cool and Contemporary
OMA’S FLORIDA PRIZE SPOTLIGHTS THE STATE’S TOP CREATORS.
The People’s Choice Award, selected by the votes of visitors to the exhibition, was previously announced on opening night. This year, however, voting will remain open for the duration of the event, which is slated to run from May 31 to August 24.
The 2025 slate of artists includes Orlando’s Kelly Joy Ladd, a UCF graduate and former parade performer at Disney World who became a full-time artist in 2019. Ladd, a paper artist, is still working to retrain her brain and eyes after a significant head injury in 2020 greatly affected her vision.
She is joined by Nathalie Alfonso (drawing, conceptual), Eddie Arroyo (painting), Leo Castañeda (gaming, painting, virtual and augmented reality), Amanda Linares (drawing, installation), Kandy G. Lopez (fiber portraiture), Jiha Moon (painting, ceramics), Troy Simmons (sculpture), Cornelius Tulloch (painting, fiber installation) and Lisu Vega (fiber installation, photography).
Thanks to OMA’s “Access for All” initiative, which launched in 2024, the museum will offer three dates, all Thursdays—June 19, July 17 and August 21—with free admission and extended hours.
Claeysen-Gleyzon is hopeful that between this year’s extended voting period and the removal of some barriers to access, the public will show up in even greater numbers. Orlando Museum of Art is located at 2416 North Mills Avenue, Orlando, in Loch Haven Cultural Park. For more information, call 407.896.4231 or visit omart.org.
Among the works in OMA’s Florida Prize in Contemporary Art exhibition are Hispaniola III – Mia and Kenya, by Kandy G. Lopez; Self Portrait, by Kelly Joy Ladd; Fool’s Moon (Babo), by Jiha Moon; and Levels and Bosses Camoflux Mangrove Biome, by Leo Castañeda. | All images courtesy of the artists
