The painting chosen to represent this year's Intrepid Awards Gala is "A Continuous Celebration of All Things Beautiful" (acrylic, 9 x 12, 2006) from the series The Careful Reassembly of a Broken Sky by Marta L. Sanchez.

Born in Panama in 1978, Ms. Sanchez is a self-taught artist. Her autobiographical paintings capture her journey from victim to survivor of sexual violence. Ms. Sanchez's art has been key to her survival; with her work she transforms negative experiences into something useful and positive. Her art focuses on hope, the importance of self love, and the way that we deal with (or ignore) sexual violence.

Ms. Sanchez's work has previously been shown in Panama, Trinidad, Croatia, Honduras, and various cities in the United States, including New York and Atlanta.

A member of ALAS (a U.S. national Latina alliance against sexual assault), Ms. Sanchez also is on the advisory council for The Art of Surviving, a Virginia based exhibit, which shares stories of victimization and healing told through survivor poetry and art.

Ms. Sanchez is a graduate of the University of Virginia School of Law and Spelman College, and is currently an artist and activist.