MADRID.- The Spanish Council of Ministers has accepted to award sculptor Richard Serra with the Order of Arts and Letters of Spain. The award was created by the Ministry of Culture to recognize the labor of people and institutions that contribute to the promotion of culture and the image of the country outside of it.

The Spanish Minister of Culture, César Antonio Molina, proposed to the Council of Ministers that Richard Serra be honored with this award as a recognition of his professional work and the appreciation by citizens of other countries.

The Order of Arts and Letters of Spain was created this past month of July as an honorary award. Richard Serra is the first recipient f this award. He was born in San Francisco on November 2, 1938 and is mostly a sculptor. His work is characterized by his vital and emotional relationship with metal. His work also goes into other genres such as graphic work and film. The artists career is marked by exhibitions in the most important public and private institutions, works in urban spaces and in nature, participation in contests and biennials and the presence in museums, centers and contemporary art collections all over the world.