Nena Inoue, one of the leading artists of Paraná, celebrates winning the Funarte Masters of the Arts Award at a gathering this Friday (6), starting at 17 h, at Terraço Verde (Rua Itupava, 1299). Admission is free and, at 18 h, there will be a talk with the actress, director, and producer about her history as a performing arts professional and an activist for Brazilian culture.
The award is an initiative of the Federal Government to honor artists aged 60 or over who are important in valuing traditional knowledge and the memory of the arts in the country, in areas such as visual arts, circus, dance, music, and theater.
For Nena, the award is an important recognition of the trajectory of artists over 60, who dedicated their lives to culture; masters who collaborate, train, build, and expand their artistic practice, mainly in the community in which they act. “In my case, I have been an actress since 1978. I started with Laerte Ortega [1952–1996], a man of the theater and a director here in Curitiba, and I never stopped. That is, my work has had uninterrupted continuity, and it is not only in acting: I perform, I am an arts manager, and I am an activist,” she says.
Always dedicated to cultural activism, Nena—who has in her résumé, among other achievements, the Shell Theatre Award in the Best Actress category for the show "Para Não Morrer"—has a very busy schedule. Even so, she says she is “always attentive to the social movements that we must embrace and defend, to truly commit.”
The emotion over the recognition is a great joy, she explains. “To apply, your name must be put forward [nominated by a third party], along with letters that validate your work. Gabriel Machado, from Selvática Companhia, was going to nominate me; so I called to ask for a letter from João Paulo Mehl, from Coletivo Soylocoporti. I met João through activism and I believe in his work; he is someone very close to culture, and even though he is not an artist, he is a great manager. But he replied: – We want to nominate you. And Gabriel thought it was a great idea; we were all super happy with this effective alliance,” says Nena.
For Mariane Antunes, president of the Collective and coordinator of the Culture Committee of Paraná—in addition to the joy of celebrating the actress’s trajectory, who is the living history of Paraná theater, with works that have become eternal in the arts landscape—the tribute to Nena is an incentive for other artists to take part in the new call for applications for the award, now at the state level, the Maestras y Maestros of the Secretariat of State for Culture of Paraná, with registrations open until March 13.
Nena also points out that Friday’s gathering aims to motivate local artists for the Paraná award. “We are going to make this moment to celebrate, multiply, and encourage others to register, so that the country recognizes its artists, the people who live from their art and who make art their craft and their path.”
Celebration event for Nena Inoue for the Funarte Masters of the Arts Award
With a talk and DJ set by DJ BK12
Date: 06/03/2026 (Friday)
Time: Starting at 17 h
Location: Terraço Verde (Rua Itupava, 1299 - rooftop)
