The 2011 International Latino Book Awards has named Carmen Lomas Garza, an A Ver series book by Constance Cortez, its first place winner in the Best Arts Book (English) category.

Widely known for works celebrating the traditions of her family and community, Carmen Lomas Garza has been a painter, printmaker, muralist, and children’s book illustrator since the 1970s. In this volume of the pathbreaking A Ver series, Constance Cortez explores Garza’s artwork in the context of the Chicano/a art movement, family and regional traditions, and Garza’s own political and social activism.

"I saw the need to create images that would elicit recognition and appreciation among Mexican Americans, both adults and children, while at the same time serve as a source of education for others not familiar with our culture."—Carmen Lomas Garza

Read more about the award here.