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THE GAZETTE
Baltimore Artist Wins First Trawick Prize for Sculptures
By Ellyn Pak
September 17, 2003

[excerpt]
Jose Ruiz, 28, of Washington, D.C. said he only had $2 the day before he was awarded the $1,000 prize. He said now he has the luxury to buy groceries, pay rent and treat himself to new digital art equipment.

Ruiz, a native of Peru and former resident of Bethesda and Potomac said he graduated from the University of Maryland at College Park in 1999.

“Nobody can tell me what to do,” he said of the joys of being an artist.