[Media Contact: Cindy Cockburn, CC Communications, 727.432.5862]
Museum Trustees to Attend Ceremony Barcelona, Spain, June 2, 2014
St. Petersburg, FL – (May 5, 2014) – The Dalí Museum in St. Petersburg, Florida has received the prestigious 2014 “National Prize of Culture” by the Catalan National Council of Culture and the Arts (CoNCA), in recognition of the Museum’s contribution to Catalan culture. This award is considered the most important distinction in this field. It is the first time the award has been presented to a foreign institution. The awards ceremony will take in Barcelona, Spain on Monday, June 2nd at 7:30 pm.
The ceremony will be led by Artur Mas, President of the Generalitat de Catalunya (Government of Catalonia), and will take place at the Josip Maria de Sagarra Theatre in Santa Coloma de Gramenet. Representing The Dalí will be the Museum’s Honorary Trustee for Life, Pascual Pesudo Castillo and Curator of the Dalí Museum’s Special Exhibitions Dr. William Jeffett. As a teen, Pascual Pesudo was acquainted with Salvador Dalí and later became a dear friend of Reynolds and Eleanor Morse, the founders of The Dalí Museum. William Jeffett has the distinction of bringing to America exhibitions of leading Catalan avant-garde artists.
CoNCA launched in March 2009 in response to long-term demand by the cultural sector to renew and expand policies and funding for creative works. The National Prize of Culture stresses creativity as the true symbol of a country with a cultural dynamism that is a part of its historic identity. In Catalonia, culture and civil society are considered critical elements of the past, present, and future.
Dr. Hank Hine, executive director of The Dalí noted, “We are gratified to receive this award recognizing the positive contributions of our Museum to bring to global and American audiences new perspectives on the work of this artist who stirs the imagination and liberates the spirit.” The Museum’s mission is centered on educating the public about the significant contributions of Dalí to the world of art and culture.
Dr. William Jeffett, Chief Curator of Special Exhibitions at The Dalí added “We seek to support and help strengthen Catalan culture in an international context through the study and exhibition of Salvador Dalí and his inheritance.”
About The Dalí Museum
The Dalí Museum, located in the heart of beautiful downtown St. Petersburg, Florida, is home to an unparalleled collection of Salvador Dalí art, featuring more than 2,000 works by the renowned and influential 20th century Spanish artist. The building is itself a work of art, featuring 1,062 triangular-shaped glass panels – the only structure of its kind in North America. Nicknamed the Enigma, it provides an unprecedented view of St. Petersburg’s picturesque waterfront.
The Museum has attracted world-wide attention, and among other distinguished awards it has received, it was listed on AOL Travel News as “one of the top buildings to see in your lifetime.” The Dalí Museum is located at One Dalí Boulevard, St. Petersburg, Florida 33701. For additional information call 727-823-3767 or visit TheDali.org.