Carlos Nieto III’s “Cultura Nouveau” won in the “High Five Art” contest. (photo courtesy of the Autry National Center)

The Autry National Center has announced that Carlos Nieto III’s “Cultura Nouveau” is the winner of “High Five Art”, a new public art contest that encourages artists to interpret the present American West.

Nieto will receive $2,500, and his design will be featured for one year on a banner at the Autry National Center in Griffith Park, where it will be visible from the Golden State (5) Freeway. Nieto and contest finalists will be celebrated at a launch party for the program on Thursday, May 21.

“When I saw the Autry’s High Five Art contest artist call, I jumped at the chance,” said Nieto, who was born and raised in Los Angeles. “Knowing that the winning image would be displayed on the building, I wanted to create an art piece that would cause the viewer to acknowledge and question it to create a visual dialogue. It’s no doubt that the American West has always been a cultural melting pot, but to what degree? I attempted to create a new vision of the American West, a vision of the cultures that are here now and are integral to it but are not recognized as being a part of it.”

Through High Five Art, artists were encouraged to rethink perceptions of the American West — including its populations and landscapes — within a creative format. A selection committee chose five finalists based on artistic merit, connection to the theme, originality and ability to effectively translate works onto a large banner format. Designs by the five finalists were displayed inside the Autry and online from March 1 to April 15, and attracted more than 2,600 votes. The first runner-up is David C. Bryant’s design, “Sun-Scope”; the second runner-up is Caitlin Anne’s “Truce”.

Both runner-up winners will receive $500, and all five finalists will receive a one-year Autry membership.

“This was an experiment designed to better understand how local artists would interpret the West as a concept, a physical and cultural landscape, and a place,” said Amy Scott, chief curator and the Marilyn B. and Calvin B. Gross curator of visual arts at the Autry National Center. “We were very excited to see the depth and breadth of the High Five Art submissions, along with the thought and execution that went into the wide-ranging results.”

The High Five Art Launch Party will be held on Thursday, May 21 from 6:30 to 9 p.m. at the Autry, 4700 Western Heritage Way. For information, call (323)667-2000, or visit www.theautry.org.