Ohio State alumnus Fernando Orellana (MFA, art & technology, 2004) is being honored with first place in the Vilcek Foundation's annual dARTboard Call For Entries in Digital Art. Orellana was one of three artists winning first place in an unprecedented three-way tie. The award is presented to foreign-born artists working in the realm of new media art; the foundation is tripling the prize money to be divided between the three. In addition to Salvadoran-born Orellana, the award is also honoring Canadian-born Nicholas Hanna and South Korean-born Ha Na Lee. An exhibition of their innovative works is in the dARTboard digital art space on Vilcek.org.

The interactive artworks found in the Orellana's series Shadows are designed to be used posthumously. Inspired by paranormal research, these works feature personal objects recently purchased from estate sales, and attempt to allow the departed continued use of their worldly possessions.

Orellana lives in Troy, New York, and is associate professor of digital art at Union College in Schenectady.