WHO

Juan Manuel's paintings had been exhibited throughout the Americas (in South America, Panama, and Central America) and the United States (including temporarily at the White House when President Jose Antonio Remon visited President Eisenhower in mid-1950s). Some specific exhibitions included not only those at many events in Panama (as well as in the Canal Zone) but also in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil (1959); Organization of American States headquarters in Washington, D.C. (1960); Caracas, Venezuela in 1968; Santa Marta, Colombia (1986); He also contributed for several years paintings for auction at the annual San Felipe Charity Benefit in Panama City.

AWARDS

Juan Manuel received many awards during his career, many of them by Panamanian government and other entities. One of his most cherished awards was the Oficial de Las Palmas Academicas presented to him by the French Government in 1955. Others included first prize in the National Competition sponsored by the Inter-American Women's Club (with Cedeño representing Panama) held in Montevideo, Uruguay in 1960 and the Orden Vasco Nuñez de Balboa Award (Gran Oficial) presented by the Panamanian government in 1983.

Postscript by William Ormsbee

Juan Manuel died August 11, 1997 at the age of almost 83 year. He is survived by his wife Lydia Martinez de Cedeño and son Roberto Ivan Cedeño; two brothers (Camilo and Celio); and two sisters (Carmen Cedeño de Gibbs and Luisa Cedeño de Miranda).

In February 1999, in the waning months of President Ernesto Perez Balladares' administration, a room in the Presidencia (the Presidential Palace in Casco Viejo, the colonial part of Panama City) was named, by Executive Decree of the same month, "Salon Paz - Maestro Juan Manuel Cedeño (Peace Room - Master Juan Manuel Cedeño)".

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Compiled by William Ormsbee using several sources, including his father-in-law Celio Cedeño and Juan Manuel's son Roberto Ivan Cedeño.

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