|
Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...
|
(Photo by Vanessa Diaz)
New World School of the Arts visual arts 2006 alumnus, Leo Castañeda, has been selected to participate in the 2026 Whitney Biennial.
This prestigious event, now in its 82nd iteration, is recognized as the longest-running survey of American art. This year’s theme explores various forms of relationships, encompassing familial bonds, our interactions with technology, connections between species, and geopolitical dynamics, among other topics.
“Selection for the Whitney Biennial represents one of the highest distinctions in contemporary American art. Leo Castañeda’s inclusion in the 2026 Biennial is a powerful affirmation of the excellence, innovation, and critical engagement that define his artistic practice.
As a graduate of New World School of the Arts high school Castañeda’s achievement underscores the vital role of rigorous arts education in cultivating visionary artists whose work resonates on a national and international stage. This milestone reflects both Castañeda’s exceptional career trajectory and the enduring impact of NWSA’s commitment to nurturing emerging creative voices.”
The Whitney Biennial 2026 will feature 56 artists, duos, and collectives from around the nation and internationally.
“After more than 300 visits, we found that many of the artists we gravitated toward were exploring various forms of relationality with a particular emphasis on infrastructures,” said Drew Sawyer, Museum of American Art staffer. “In addition to artists from across 25 states, we also invited artists from Afghanistan, Chile, Iraq, Okinawa, the Philippines, Puerto Rico, Vietnam and elsewhere – places marked by the reach of U.S. power. Together, these artists’ work make space for forms of relation that are intimate, improvised and contested.”
The Whitney Biennial, established in 1932, stands as the longest-running survey of American art and has become a defining feature of the museum. Founded by Gertrude Vanderbilt Whitney, the event began as an invitational exhibition showcasing works created in the previous two years, initially organized by medium with alternating focuses on painting, sculpture, and works on paper.
In 1937, the museum transitioned to annual exhibitions known as Annuals. Since 1973, the format has evolved into a biennial survey that encompasses all media, allowing for a comprehensive exploration of contemporary art. Over the years, more than 3,600 artists have contributed to this prestigious event, including New World School of the Arts visual arts alumni Hernan Bas in 2004, Bert Rodriguez in 2008, and Adler Guerrier in 2008.
The upcoming exhibition is set to open on Mar. 8, taking up a significant portion of the Whitney’s facility in Manhattan’s Meatpacking District. The exhibition will feature a comprehensive schedule of performances, public events, and online programming.
Leonardo Castaneda (b. Cali, Colombia 1988) graduated from the New World School of the Arts visual arts high school program. He is an artist working in the intersection of virtual reality, gaming, painting, performance, and interactive sculpture. Castaneda’s work deploys and deconstructs the socio-economic, racial, mythological, and post-human anatomies embedded in the structure of video games.
Castaneda received his BFA from Cooper Union in 2010, and in 2014 received his MFA at Hunter College. Residencies include SOMA Summer in Mexico City attended through the Cisneros Foundation (2014); “Of Games III” at Khoj International Artists Association, New Delhi India (2015), and the Bronx Museum AIM program (2017). He was a visiting instructor at Florida International University from 2017 to 2019 teaching 3D Animation, Drawing, and Visual Thinking. Castañeda also taught 3D animation to New World School of the Arts high school and college students from 2021 to 2023.
Information about the NWSA visual arts program is available at 305-237-3620.
ABOUT US:
For more Miami community news, look no further than Miami Community Newspapers. This Miami online group of newspapers covers a variety of topics about the local community and beyond. Miami’s Community Newspapers offers daily news, online resources, podcasts and other multimedia content to keep readers informed. With topics ranging from local news to community events, Miami’s Community Newspapers is the ideal source for staying up to date with the latest news and happenings in the area.
This family-owned media company publishes more than a dozen neighborhood publications, magazines, special sections on their websites, newsletters, as well as distributing them in print throughout Miami Dade County from Aventura, Sunny Isles Beach, Miami Beach, Coral Gables, Brickell, Coconut Grove, Pinecrest, South Miami, Kendall, Palmetto Bay, Cutler Bay and Homestead. Each online publication and print editions provide comprehensive coverage of local news, events, business updates, lifestyle features, and local initiatives within its respective community.
Additionally, the newspaper has exclusive Miami community podcasts, providing listeners with an in-depth look into Miami’s culture. Whether you’re looking for local Miami news, or podcasts, Miami’s Community Newspapers has you covered. For more information, be sure to check out: https://communitynewspapers.com.
If you have any questions, feel free to email Michael@communitynewspapers.com or Grant@communitynewspapers.com.
