Fernando Zobel de Ayala and Family Awarded the Prestigious Sorolla Medal

Earlier this month, Fernando Zobel de Ayala and the Zobel de Ayala family received the Hispanic Society of America's coveted Sorolla Medal in New York City. They were recognized for their advocacies in empowering Filipino culture and the arts.

“I am deeply honored to receive this recognition on behalf of the Zobel de Ayala family," Ayala Foundation Chairman Fernando Zobel de Ayala. “We look forward to a continuous collaboration with the Hispanic community in areas of common interest, particularly those that can advance a deeper appreciation and understanding between our cultures and people.”

Zobel and his family were acknowledged for the initiatives of the Ayala Foundation, one of the country's most important cultural institutions. Its leading program and private museum, the Ayala Museum, has made art accessible to the public since it was founded in 1967. It houses a varied selection of Filipino works, ranging from the archaeological, ethnographic, and historical to fine arts, numismatics, and ecclesiastical. At its core, it works on projects for the sake of education, sustainability, livelihoods, and love of country.

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The Sorolla Medal has been awarded by the Hispanic Society of America since 1924, dedicated to celebrating distinguished individuals and institutions that continue to make their mark in philanthropy, art, literature, and culture. It was named after the Spanish painter Joaquin Sorolla, best known for winning a gold medal at the National Exhibition in Madrid back in 1892.

Among the other recipients of the honor this year are Dr. Carlos Zurita of the Duke and Duchess of Soria Cultural Foundation and Cuban-born philanthropist and art collector Ella Fontanals-Cisneros.

Founded in 1904, the Hispanic Society of America aims to uphold “a free, public museum and reference library for the study of the art and culture of Spain, Portugal, Latin America, and the Philippines.”