ORLANDO, Fla., June 29, 2018 - Banco do Brasil Americas will celebrate the 2018 World Cup with an art exhibition dedicated to soccer. The art exhibition entitled, “Passion for Soccer”, is a vibrant collection of portraits and graphic designs featuring artwork from Valencia College students from the School of Arts & Entertainment. A VIP reception opening the exhibition was held at their branch location on International Drive where the art will remain on display.

According to Pamela Kohl, Executive Vice President, Chief Products and Marketing Officer, “Banco do Brasil Americas is proud to be active in the Orlando community. As part of our commitment to the arts, we are pleased to present $2,300 in educational scholarships to three Valencia students whose submissions best reflect the theme, ‘A Passion for Soccer’.”

“We are excited to be able to partner with Banco do Brasil Americas on this unique opportunity to not only showcase the talents of our Fine Arts students at Valencia, but to illuminate the passion, energy, culture, and good will surrounding soccer and the World Cup,” said Wendy Givoglu, Dean of Valencia’s School of Arts & Entertainment. "I know our students are appreciative of Banco do Brasil’s sponsorship of the art exhibition and of this incredible scholarship opportunity,” she said.

Anthony Luna received $1500 for his first place entry. Kaila Olsen, placing second, received $500 and Ron King was awarded $300 for third place.

The exhibition is part of the BB Americas Cultural Series, one of their campaigns to embrace diversity and support local artists, while reinvesting into communities with local branches. The bank has chosen to champion the works of college students in the Orlando community for this exhibit. “The cultural series is a way to reinforce our cultural mission and a means to support Orlando-based artists,” said Kohl. “We want the community to know that we are a local bank, with a local vision and we are a part Orlando’s growth and community,” Kohl said.

The original artworks from Valencia College students will be on display in the lobby of the Banco do Brasil Americas branch on International Drive, the first and only bank in the heart of Orlando’s tourist district. Interested patrons may purchase the art from the exhibition. Banco do Brasil Americas will give all of the proceeds raised from individual art sales during the exhibition back to the students. “A Passion for Soccer” opens to the public at 10:00 a.m. on Friday, June 29th and runs through September 28th. Admission is free.

Art Speaks for Itself will feature 10 wisely selected pieces that depict the individual work of Miami residents Nahila Campos and Daniela Wicki, and Brazilian-born Paula Gasparini-Santos. Cultural history and diversity are reflected in this exhibit through the heritage of the three artists. Campos, a Venezuela native with a background in architecture, utilizes her vast experiences and training in her depictions of cities and the world. Wicki, who was born in Peru, left a successful career as a lawyer to pursue her creative ambitions, which illustrate her sense of adventure. Gasparini-Santos, who pursued an education in psychology and art in California, finds refuge in her painting and hopes to inspire people with her personal expression.

Their art has appeared in galleries and shows both nationally and internationally, including exhibits in Miami, Los Angeles, New York, London, Italy, Switzerland and Venezuela. Through their collective talents and artistic expression, Art Speaks for Itself will examine themes of exploration and discovery and encourage self-reflection.

BB Americas Cultural Series presents an expansive exhibition of three Latin American artists who explore the boundaries of art and the limits of imagination. Daniela Wicki’s photographs, Paula Santos’s paintings and Nahila Campos’s installations. Peruvian, Venezuelan and Brazilian artists exploring the boundaries of art and the limits of imagination.

Liana Rivas, curator invited for “Art Speaks for Itself” exhibition.

BB Americas presents “Brickell Urban Encounters” bringing together works for the first time by internationally acclaimed master sculptors Manuel Carbonell and Yutaka Toyota. The second in the inaugural season of the BB Americas Cultural Series, this exhibition opens Monday, December 1 and is on display through Friday, February 27.

“BB Americas has a proud tradition of supporting culture and one of our number one assets is the multicultural nature of our clients and staff,” said BB Americas President and CEO Cassio Segura. “Yutaka Toyota’s monuments grace São Paulo and Manuel Carbonell’s ‘The Pillar of History’ is an iconic part of Miami’s Brickell Avenue Bridge, which makes this exhibition particularly appropriate for our series.”
The exhibition is curated by Stella M. Holmes, director of The Brickellian, and Carolina Lucero as part of the art consultancy’s West Encounters East® project.

“Both Toyota and Carbonell developed their own aesthetics through a syntheses of different traditions in their artistic training,” the curators said. “In ‘Brickell Urban Encounters,’ their works bridge cultural differences and present two different but complementary visions of reality” explained Ms. Holmes.

Considered among the most important Latin American Masters, Carbonell (1918 – 2011) belonged to a generation of Cuban artists that studied at the Academia de Bellas Artes "San Alejandro" in Havana. He traveled to and studied in Europe before returning to Cuba and ultimately coming to the United States and, later, Italy. Searching for the essence of the form and the absence of details, Carbonell imparted a sense of strength, simplicity and monumentality to his work. His modern monumental works are part of important collections and public spaces.

“Carbonell’s works have a universal beauty that can be appreciated in a variety of contexts and we are pleased to have his works shown for the first time alongside those of Yutaka Toyota,” said Ricardo J. Gonzalez, III, administrator of Carbonell Sculptures Ltd. which serves as the exclusive representative for the works of Carbonell.

Born in Japan in 1931, Toyota arrived in Brazil in 1962, where he currently lives. From 1965-1968, he lived in Milan and worked with designer Bruno Munari while developing his research on sculpture with reflexes. He then joined the movement of optical and kinetic artists who pioneered the use of stainless steel in artworks. Influenced by the spatial theory of Argentine artist Lucio Fontana, he creates artworks that, through the application of physical laws such as Einstein's theory of relativity and the influence of Zen Buddhist philosophy, encourage art to be viewed in new ways.

Artworks are available for sale through The Brickellian with proceeds benefiting ArtesMiami, Inc., which supports and promotes South Florida Hispanic artists and cultural organizations, in order to generate greater understanding and appreciation for their work among the diverse publics of this region.

BB Americas presents "After Illusion: The Art of Urban Experience." Bringing together, for the very first time, works from acclaimed contemporary artists, Pitágoras Lopez Gonçalves (Brazil), Patricia Lara Campiglia (Uruguay), and Bénédicte Blanc-Fontenille (France). These world-renowned artists will fill the opening season of the BB Americas Cultural Series of 2015. The exhibition will open on Thursday, March 12, and will run through June 27.

"BB Americas has always supported these cultural endeavors, and our main area of focus is in displaying the natural blend of cultures provided by our clients and our workers," said BB Americas president and CEO, Antonio Cassio Segura. "The works of Pitágoras Lopez Gonçalves show the inimitable talent of this Brazilian artist who hails from the state of Goias. His work will be shown alongside the art of Patricia Lara Campiglia and Bénédicte Blanc-Fontenille to complete the aesthetic for this inaugural exhibit."

The exhibit's curator is Ana Pecoraro, a Brazilian PhD with a special focus on art and architectural conservation. Pecoraro has a masters in Art History from the Conversation Centre of New York University. Ana Pecoraro synthesizes Gonçalves' artistic vision: "He creates art the way it ought to be: his works touch through their vivid colors, composition, and depth. His art truly are images which speak a thousand words. They show us how incredible and beautiful the nature of man is. Interspersed with our modern-day inventions, it shows how these new trappings of modern life are isolating us from our natural state."

Pitágoras Lopez Gonçalves was born in Goiânia in 1964. He became involved with a series of theater groups and art studios in order for him to earn the projection he sought. He was heavily influenced by the cosmic abstract present in many of the books he'd read, mostly science-fiction, cartoons, classic literature like Jules Verne, cinema, and the urban nightlife. His work is on display in public museums, cultural centers, and private galleries all around the world. His first exhibition in the United States was in 2008 for the PINTA gallery in New York, which has since moved to Miami.

The Uruguayan Patricia Lara Campiglia was born in Montevideo. Her artistic style is based on sporting a balanced composition combined with chromatic light effects. She has also worked extensively with paintings, sculpting, and tapestries. Through her work, she has made us re-evaluate our pre-conceived notions of humanity.

Bénédicte Blanc-Fontenille was born in France but has made her home in Miami since 2002. She graduated from the na Ecole des Beaux Arts and studied at Conservatoire d'art Dramatique. Her work can be found at The Art Center Foundation Ortiz Guardian Museum in Nicarágua and of Valmont Suisse. She has been commissioned by Cartier, Piaget, Sofitel, Alcoa International and she has been featured in a number of private showings in Louisiana, Florida, Canada, and Europe. She also translates the Impermanence.

Placing herself at the division of time and space the artist uses her medium to convey to us that our passage on Earth is just life going through the motions without adherence to the laws of time and space.

BB Americas presents “Brickell Urban Encounters” bringing together works for the first time by internationally acclaimed master sculptors Manuel Carbonell and Yutaka Toyota. The second in the inaugural season of the BB Americas Cultural Series, this exhibition opens Monday, December 1 and is on display through Friday, February 27.

“BB Americas has a proud tradition of supporting culture and one of our number one assets is the multicultural nature of our clients and staff,” said BB Americas President and CEO Cassio Segura. “Yutaka Toyota’s monuments grace São Paulo and Manuel Carbonell’s ‘The Pillar of History’ is an iconic part of Miami’s Brickell Avenue Bridge, which makes this exhibition particularly appropriate for our series.”
The exhibition is curated by Stella M. Holmes, director of The Brickellian, and Carolina Lucero as part of the art consultancy’s West Encounters East® project.

“Both Toyota and Carbonell developed their own aesthetics through a syntheses of different traditions in their artistic training,” the curators said. “In ‘Brickell Urban Encounters,’ their works bridge cultural differences and present two different but complementary visions of reality” explained Ms. Holmes.

Considered among the most important Latin American Masters, Carbonell (1918 – 2011) belonged to a generation of Cuban artists that studied at the Academia de Bellas Artes "San Alejandro" in Havana. He traveled to and studied in Europe before returning to Cuba and ultimately coming to the United States and, later, Italy. Searching for the essence of the form and the absence of details, Carbonell imparted a sense of strength, simplicity and monumentality to his work. His modern monumental works are part of important collections and public spaces.

“Carbonell’s works have a universal beauty that can be appreciated in a variety of contexts and we are pleased to have his works shown for the first time alongside those of Yutaka Toyota,” said Ricardo J. Gonzalez, III, administrator of Carbonell Sculptures Ltd. which serves as the exclusive representative for the works of Carbonell.

Born in Japan in 1931, Toyota arrived in Brazil in 1962, where he currently lives. From 1965-1968, he lived in Milan and worked with designer Bruno Munari while developing his research on sculpture with reflexes. He then joined the movement of optical and kinetic artists who pioneered the use of stainless steel in artworks. Influenced by the spatial theory of Argentine artist Lucio Fontana, he creates artworks that, through the application of physical laws such as Einstein's theory of relativity and the influence of Zen Buddhist philosophy, encourage art to be viewed in new ways.

Artworks are available for sale through The Brickellian with proceeds benefiting ArtesMiami, Inc., which supports and promotes South Florida Hispanic artists and cultural organizations, in order to generate greater understanding and appreciation for their work among the diverse publics of this region.

BB Americas, returns on June 11th with Color Beyond Symmetry and Horizons. BB Americas invited recognized curators Maria A. Napoles and Jade Matarazzo, who assembled a trio of world-renowned artists comprised by two painters, Robert Swedroe (USA) and Didi Marchi (Brazil) and sculptor Othón Castañeda (Mexico). The exhibit will take place in the bank's Brickell branch located at 800 Brickell Avenue, Suite 103. Admission is free and open to the public. Color Beyond Symmetry and Horizons is the fourth exhibit in the company's cultural series. The series was created to continue Banco Do Brasil's Cultural Center's mission of promoting local artists and community diversity. Located in Belo Horizonte, Brasilia, Rio de Janeiro and Sao Paulo, Banco do Brasil's Cultural Centers were created 25 years ago as multidisciplinary art spaces with regular programming. To date, the Cultural Centers have been the venue for 3,500 projects, 12,000 events and have welcomed over 60 million visitors. "We started the cultural series as a way to continue the bank's cultural mission and as a means to support Miami-based artists and curators", said President and CEO of BB Americas Antonio Cassio Segura. "We want the community to know that we are a local bank, with a local vision and want to be part of Miami's growth."

As in previous exhibits, BB Americas invited two curators, the first of which is Maria Napoles, a Cuban - American entrepreneur who has devoted her life to the arts. After presiding over ArteAmericas, Maria founded Maria's Art Momentum Gallery and was appointed by the Mayor of Miami as an Honorary Member of Miami's Arts & Entertainment Council for the City of Miami. Maria brought Mexican sculptor Othón Castañeda to join the exhibit. As a visual artist and architect, his work is characterized by anthropomorphic, spatial and organic allusions exploring concepts such as selfhood, existence and sexuality thru nonobjective references to human figure. Throughout his tridimensional sculptures, he explores abstraction as sublimation from reality challenging common imagery and historical opposition.

The second curator is Brazilian, Jade Matarazzo who began shaping her photography background in Switzerland where she studied Fine Arts and began her career. Through years of solo exhibitions and interactions with other artists, Jade developed her vision for a more culturally diverse exchange. As an independent curator, Jade has pioneered projects such as ExpoArt-Japan, ExpoArt-London, ArtBrazil and Brazilian Eyes. She brought American painter Robert Swedroe and Brazilian painter Didi Marchi to the exhibit. As an artist and architect, Robert Swedroe's multiple talents work off each other and recently, this interplay of design aesthetics culminated in an entirely new series of multimedia constructions. His latest works of collage and assemblage continue his tradition of challenging the boundaries between two and three dimensions. These new "higher-tech" creations now incorporate computer-generated elements, monochromatic fields, and a bolder, crisper array and arrangement of sumptuous, thought-provoking imagery. Didi Marchi has explored a variety of directions and themes over the years. Although her paintings are abstract in form, her inspiration comes from nature and the unconsciousness of risks and adventure. The artwork is generally large and evokes a unique sense of openness and delicacy; the conceptual quality of the final work, the spontaneity of colors and the random quality of staining are the most important elements of her expressionist art. These pieces offer a dose of the unexpected; they challenge the mind and stimulate the eyes. Color Beyond Symmetry and Horizons will take place from June 11th to September 30th and the exhibit will be open Monday thru Friday from 9 am to 4 pm at the BB Americas Brickell branch located at 800 Brickell Avenue, Suite 103. For more information about BB Americas and the BB Americas Cultural Series visit www.bbamericas.com.

About Color Beyond Symmetry and Horizons:
The concept for Color Beyond Symmetry and Horizons comes from the ability of color applied in its various forms to create moods, emotions and even narratives. Shapes may portray strength and boldness or softness and tameness - it is all in the eye and imagination of the beholder. Whether the journey is obscure and deep or naive and light, the exhibitors hope that it leads the traveler to a place of endless creativity.

ORLANDO, October 13, 2016 – Expanding its support of the arts to Orlando, BB Americas is pleased to announce The BB Americas Cultural Series is coming to Orlando with the debut of “Orlando Colors.”

“Orlando Colors” is a three-month art exhibit featuring six local artists unveiling their vibrant collection of acrylic, oil and canvas paintings depicting life in Brazil, Haiti and America. The exhibit, which is part of The BB Americas Cultural Series, embraces diversity and supports local artists while reinvesting back into communities where BB Americas has a presence. This the first time the BB Americas Cultural Series has come to Orlando following six successful local art exhibits in Miami.

The exhibit, which is free and open to the public, runs from October 20th through December 9th in the lobby of the BB Americas Branch located on 5475 International Drive in Orlando. Patrons who wish to purchase from the collection may contact the artists directly. BB Americas hosted a private VIP reception on October 19th to unveil the artwork and promote the artists at their Orlando branch, which opened in February 2015 and is the only bank on I-Drive.

Banco do Brasil S.A., BB Americas sole shareholder, has a long tradition of supporting local arts and culture which started 25 years ago after the first cultural series was held at Banco do Brasil’s Cultural Centers in Brazil. Today, the cultural centers in Brazil serve as creative hubs for painters, illustrators and sculptors, who regularly showcase their artwork during various programs throughout the years. More than 60 million visitors have attended the 12,000 events and viewed the 3,500+ pieces of artwork at these centers since they began.

“We want the community to know that we are a local bank, with a local vision and we want to be part of Orlando’s growth,” said Antonio Cassio Segura, CEO of BB Americas. “We continued The BB Americas Cultural Series in Orlando as a way to continue our cultural mission and as a means to support Orlando-based artists and curators.” The BB Americas brand is celebrating their four year anniversary of providing quality and service to the U.S. market.

This year’s six artists represent the wide range of talent consistent with Orlando’s diverse population:

Patricia Isabella Byron is a proud descendant of Lord Byron and granddaughter of acclaimed Honduran writer and composer Fernando Ferrari. Her compelling paintings represent her life in the Middle East and Europe.

Arthur Dawson is nationally renowned for creating the “Artists Creations Cookbook Series,” designed for food and art connoisseurs. He presents similar colorful paintings from this African-American collection in Orlando Colors.

Dennis Esteves has been a Brazilian painter for 26 years. His art is comprised of vivid colors and striking features.

Patrick Noze is a passionate Haitian artist whose artwork is displayed in museums and murals worldwide.

Sarro is a legend in the Brazilian art community. His colorful paintings, characterized by exaggerated expressions of rural workers, line the walls of many prestigious galleries throughout the world.

Raquel Vannucci is a Brazilian artist who left a corporate career to follow her passion. She incorporates sewing onto paper and photographs to create her contemporary artworks.

Please visit www.bbamericas.com for more information about BB Americas and the BB Americas Cultural Series in Orlando.

About Orlando Colors
The BB Americas Cultural Series presents “Orlando Colors” featuring an exhibit of original artwork from six local Orlando residents, hosted by BB Americas. This collection promotes the beauty of diversity within the community where the bank operates. The exhibit opens to the public on Thursday, October 20th and runs until Friday, December 9th. “Orlando Colors” is the seventh exhibit from The BB Americas Cultural Series and the first exhibit in Orlando.

About BB Americas
For more than 200 years Banco do Brasil S.A., BB Americas sole shareholder, has offered high standard products and services to clients in Latin America and in more than 24 countries worldwide. In 2012, the bank expanded its model of quality and service to the U.S. markets and BB Americas was opened to deliver innovative solutions with personalized service in English, Portuguese and Spanish. Financial services offered by BB Americas include personal and business checking, savings, prepaid cards, and money market accounts; CDs; Romero Britto-designed debit and credit cards; domestic and international funds transfers, and a full line of residential and commercial loans. BB Americas currently has branch offices in Aventura, Boca Raton, Lighthouse Point, Doral, Miami and Orlando. BB Americas continues the proud tradition of its parent company through supporting local education, culture, and sports through community outreach, financial support, philanthropic and volunteer work