Pictured here: Sueey Gutierrez, 2024 Design Contest Winner 

This year, the 2024 Design Contest received nearly 100 submissions from artists across the United States. More than 1,200 people voted for their favorite design, selecting this year’s winner. 

Without further ado… we are excited to announce that artist Sueey Gutierrez as the winner of its 13th Annual Design Contest! Sueey won for her submission titled Renacer en las aguas de Moncagua, pictured below. 

Gutierrez was born in Brooklyn to Salvadoran immigrants. She received a scholarship at the Brooklyn Museum at the age of 6 and has had her art featured in exhibits across the country. She has also held major solo exhibitions, including Entre Mis Mundos at Ma’s House BIPOC Studios on the Shinnecock Reservation and Divina at Muñeca Arthouse in Blue Point, New York. Much of Gutierrez’s work draws from her Salvadoran, Mayan and American identity. She creates mixed-media drawings and acrylic paintings and regularly integrates Mayan and Roman Catholic iconography. 

 “Renacer en las aguas de Moncagua reflects my Salvadoran-Mayan heritage, focusing on my father’s legacy,” Gutierrez said. “The artwork features a figure in a red gown, symbolizing love, strength, courage, and sacrifice, set amidst natural elements of water, earth, fire, and light, representing healing, stability, passion, and faith. White chrysanthemums signify mourning and loyalty, underscoring the emotional journey of grief and resilience. This piece invites viewers to reflect on their own encounters with loss, renewal, and the enduring spirit that fosters healing, resonating with the shared experiences of displacement and the journey towards finding community.” 

Every year, we are pleased to see the number of submissions increase and are grateful to all who shared their art with our community.  

 During Hispanic Heritage Month, may this design contest remind everyone of the beauty of our culture and our tireless dedication to advocating for the future National Museum of the American Latino to be built on the National Mall. 

Thank you to everyone who participated, 

Friends of the National Museum of the American Latino