At the ninth annual commemorative ceremony to celebrate Ecuadorian politician Galo Plaza's New York birthplace, trailblazers Frida Kahlo, Gabriela Mistral and Julia de Burgos were honored, and so were eight other New York Latinas who are currently shaping the arts and culture.

The ceremony took place on March 5, and honored Mirian Conti, Cristina Doménech, Patricia Sierra Sampson, Jacqueline Unanue, Marlene Tovar, Teresa Yenque, Silvia Siller and Alicia Kaplan.

Ximena Hidalgo started the commemorative ceremony by order of historian Jorge Salvador Lara, and Hidalgo said that the event is about showing gratitude for the work these women have done in music, visual arts, acting and poetry. In the last two decades, Hidalgo has been researching powerful women in New York.

"Women can learn from these women -- Gabriela, Julia and Frida -- just as the [eight] recognized in the ceremony," Hidalgo said. "Their passion for the things they did, they loved what they did and they expressed it, without caring about prejudices."

All of them also spent time living in New York.

The event was also about "continental unity," according to Hidalgo, and the eight were chosen in arts and culture because they "are the best representation of our community in this metropolis and the world."

Mirian Conti

Mirian Conti was born in Corrientes, Argentina, and she studied music and piano in Buenos Aires before graduating from The Juilliard School. In 2005-2006, she was chosen as one of the "100 Outstanding Alumni" for Juilliard.

Cristina Doménech

Cristina Doménech is the education coordinator at the Hispanic Society of America in New York. She has a doctorate degree in the history of art from the University of Valencia. She has also worked as an art researcher at Meadows Museum, a documentalist at the Real Academia de la Historia in Madrid and an assistant curator at the Museo Sorolla in Madrid.

Patricia Sierra Sampson

Patricia Sierra Sampson is the Publisher and President of The Latin Post Company, parent company of LatinPost.com. Sierra Sampson was born in Bolivia, and she previously worked as the International Advertising Director for The New York Times Company. She is actively involved in community outreach and has started Survival English and Plant a Seed to help the Latino community.

Jacqueline Unanue

Jacqueline Unanue was born in Chile. She has studied prehistoric art in Altamira, Spain. In Chile, she traveled through the desert to do research on art from thousands of years ago. Since 1983, she has displayed art in Argentina, Ecuador, Spain and the United States.

Marlene Tovar

Colombian Marlene Tovar traveled to New York when she was 24. She recorded her first album in 1978, and she also started her career in television. After a career that took her around the world, she decided to return to New York.

Teresa Yenque

Peruvian Teresa Yunque has acted on Broadway, and according to Se Fija, Yunque has been working since the 1970s. She has appeared on "30 Rock," "The Sopranos" and "All My Children."

Silvia Siller

Silvia Siller is of Mexican and Nicaraguan descent. She has worked as a flamenco dancer and a theater producer, and she also has a Masters in international relations from the University of Columbia.

Alicia Kaplan

Alicia Kaplan's career in ballet began in Venezuela. Her acting debut came with Roman Chalbaud's "Angeles Terribles." She has worked with major Latino theater groups, such as Teatro Thalia and Teatro de las Américas.