Artists
(Arranged by date of birth)

Ernesto Llamoza – Sculptor.
The statues and busts of this renowned artist are located in important plazas, educational centres and streets of the country's main cities. Llamoza was born in Palmira in 1926.

Omar Rayo – Painter, engraver
The exquisite geometric figures in the paintings of Omar Rayo, led him to international fame.
Many of his works are on display at the National Museum, the Museum of Modern Art and the Luis Angel Arango Library in Bogotá, the Zea Museum in Medellín and the Museum La Tertulia in Cali.
In the United States, his paintings can be admired at the Metropolitan Museum of Modern Art of New York,the Library of Congress in Washington along with many other museums and art galleries.
He was decorated with The Order of Boyacá in 1994.
Rayo was born in Roldanillo in 1928.

Leonel Góngora (1932-1999) – Painter.
This artist has claimed international fame. Góngora has exhibited his works at the Museum of Modern Art of Bogota, the National Museum of Colombia and in art galleries in New York and San Francisco. He participated in collective exhibitions in several countries. He received the First Prize at the "XXX Annual Hall of Artists" of the National Museum of Colombia. He was born in Cartago.

Caty Cucalón – Painter.
Caty Cucalón began exhibiting her work in 1994, she is a Caleña artist. Her paintings have been displayed in several art halls of the country's main cities.
She was invited by the Hispanic Museum of Miami to display her work and participated in a collective exhibition at the Contemporary Art Gallery, Civic Museum Di Abano Terme -Italy.

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Model

Adriana Arboleda – Model and television anchor.
She is one of the most beautiful and renowned models in Latin America. Not only was she Coffee of Colombia's official image, but she also won “Model of the Year” in 1995 and “Look of the Year” in 1996. Arboleda has graced the covers of Cosmopolitan, Vanities and Elle of Brazil. She was born in Cali in 1978.

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Theatre

Bernardo Romero Lozano (1909-1971) – Theatre director, actor and playwright.
Romero Lozano pioneered television drama in Colombia. He was the founder of the first experimental theatre, cofounder of the Colombian Circle of Actors (CICA) and had been a member of Colcultura Board of Directors. He participated in the sixth Congress of the International Federation of Artists, held in Mexico.
The famed director was a repeat recipient of the Nemqueteba prize. As a tribute to the late television pioneer, the prize Ondra Especial "Bernardo Romero Lozano" was created. Lozano was born in Buga.

Enrique Buenaventura (1925-2004) – Playwright, theatre director, narrator and poet.
Not only a great promoter of Colombian Drama Theatre, he was the first director of the Institute of Fine Arts School of Theatre in Cali. He also founded the Experimental Theatre of Cali (TEC).
Buenaventura received a Doctor of Letters Honoris Causa degree from Universidad del Valle and was awarded the "Casa de las Amércas" prize, amongst many other recognitions and prizes. He was born in Cali.

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Sportsmen and Women

María Isabel Urrutia – Weightlifter
This powerhouse became the female weightlifting Olympic champion in 2000 at the Sydney Australia games. She has also has received several gold medals in Bosnia, Germany, Turkey and China.
Her highest achievement: The Gold Medal at the Olympic Games in Sydney (Australia) in the year 2000. She was born in Candelaria in 1965.

Orlando Duque – Cliff diver.
The very best of the world's best in cliff diving. Number one in diving board and height diving. Winner of the Grand Prix of China, four times winner of the Mediterranean Cup and four times winner at the Red Bull Cliff Diving World Championship. BornDuque was born in Cali in 1977.

Diego Salazar – Weightlifter
Salazar is the recent silver medalist at the Olympic Games in Beijin 2008. This extraordinary weightlifter started his career by winning the World Junior Champion in Greece (2001), then going on to win the Pan-American champion in Santo Domingo (2003).
Salazar continued his winning streak by becoming the Central American and the Caribbean champion in Cartagena (2006) and South American champion at the Odesur Games in Buenos Aires (2006) and gold medalist at the 2007 Pan-American Games.. He was born in Tuluá in 1980

Tulia Ángela Medina – Weightlifter
This weightlifter champion was a three time gold medallist at the 2006 South American Games and a gold medal winner at the 2007 Pan-American Games. She was born in Tuluá in 1983.

Liana Mercedes Holguín – In-line skater.
This Selección Colombia great skater was decorated with 5 gold medals at the VII South American Games in Buenos Aires (Argentina) in November 2006.
Also in 2006, she was awarded the gold medal at the World Skating Championships in Anyang, South Korea. In previous years she obtained two world titles and three world titles as a member of a team.
Liana Mercedes was born in Cali in 1986.

Jackeline Rentería – Wrestler
The great athlete, Jackeline Rentería, won the bronze medal in the women's freestyle 55kg wrestling competition at the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games.
She has won close to 70 medals over her career. These include a silver medal at the 2006 World's Junior competition in Guatemala, the bronze medal at Cartagena' s Central American and Caribbean Games in 2006; a gold medal at the Pan-American wrestling competition in El Salvador and, the bronze medal at the 2007 Dave Schultz Memorial International in the United States.
Jackeline was born in Cali in 1986.

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Beauty Queens "Miss Colombia"

Leonor Navia Orejuela -1951-
Born in Cali in 1932. She died in 2005.

Luz Marina Cruz Lozada -1953-
Born in Cali in 1934.

Martha Cecilia Calero Córdoba -1964-
Born in Cali in 1947.

Margarita María Reyes Zawdsky -1968-
Born in Cali in 1949.

Ana Lucía Agudelo Correa -1972-
(Represented Valle del Cauca)
Born in Medellín -Antioquia- in 1953.

Martha Lucía Echeverry Trujillo -1974-
Born in Cartago en 1956.

Aura María Mojica Salcedo -1976-
(Represented Valle del Cauca)
Born in Bogotá, D.C. in 1958.

Catherine Daza Manchola -2003-
Born in Cali in 1983.

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