“Second Annual Catholic Middle School Art Festival”
Exhibit Ends: February 12, 2011
at the ACND Gallery of Art
located in the Brother Rice Honors Academy Building at
Archbishop Curley Notre Dame High School
4949 NE 2nd Avenue, Miami, FL 33137, 305.751-8367, www.acnd.net
Gallery Hours: M to F 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Other times available by appointment.
On Tuesday, January 25, 2011 families, friends, and the community came out to celebrate the artistic achievements of students representing 10 Miami-Dade Catholic middle schools at Archbishop Curley Notre Dame High School’s ‘2nd Annual Catholic Middle School Art Festival.’ Their paintings, sketches, photographs, and sculptures will be on display through February 12th at the ACND Gallery of Art, Archbishop Curley Notre Dame High School, 4949 NE 2nd Avenue, Miami, FL 33137, (305) 751-8367, www.acnd.net.
School art teachers carefully selected five students who demonstrated emerging artistic talent. 45 works of art represented students from the following Catholic schools: St. Patrick’s, Miami Beach; Our Lady of the Lakes, Miami Lakes; Blessed Trinity, Miami Springs; St. Rose of Lima, Miami Shores; St. Agnes, Biscayne Bay; St. Hugh’s, Coconut Grove; St. Mary’s, Miami; St. Thomas the Apostle, South Miami; Sts. Peter, and Paul, South Miami; and Archbishop Curley Notre Dame’s Brother Rice Honors Academy.
This unique event was not an art contest, but an opportunity for participating students to receive constructive and encouraging critiques of their work by art professionals. The event was designed to encourage middle school students to further develop their skills and gain an appreciation of the significant role that artistic development plays in education.
“The Church that gave us Michelangelo, DaVinci and others has always seen art as part of our culture and traditions,” he said. “Not all of our elementary and middle schools can afford to offer a full curriculum of art and music classes. However, we believe art is essential to a Catholic education,” remarked ACND Principal, Br. Patrick Sean Moffett, CFC, PhD. He emphasized that art education should not be cut from school budgets, and events such as a school art festival are a good way for students and schools to demonstrate its importance.
Members of the arts community who offered artwork critiques this year were:
Dr. Mercedes Quiroga, President of the Miami Dade College’s Wolfson Campus. Dr. Quiroga is ACND alumnus and was inducted into the ACND Hall of Fame in April 2009. Dr. Quiroga has served MDC for more than 20 years in various roles, including Provost and CEO of New World School of the Arts and Wolfson Campus Chairperson of the Department of Arts and Philosophy.
Fr. David Russell is a sculptor, painter, renowned homilist and creator/designer of a number of the major church structures in Miami. A selection of Fr. Russell’s abstract paintings and sculptures were exhibited at the final installment of ACND’s 2009-1010 Gallery of Art. His work has also been shown at the Lincoln Road Gallery, Miami Beach; Humboldt Gallery in California; and Art Collectors Gallery in Coral Gables.
Stefano Campanini is the owner of Etra Fine Art located in Miami’s Design District. He has been in the art business since 1997, currently is serving on the boards of “Arts For Learning” – an institution that teaches art to 20,000 kids in Miami-Dade County, the romantic film festival “Romance In A Can,” and is a founder of ‘La Casa De La Mujer De Las Americas’ – a not-for-profit organization that helps women and their families across South and Central America who are victims of violence.
Yunier Cervino Oliver teaches Art 2D, and Drawing, Painting 1 and 2, plus a new photography course offered at ACND. He is also a professional artist whose work ranges from comics and illustration, medical and architectural illustrations, graphic design, and painting. He holds a BFA in Illustration from Ringling College of Art at Sarasota.
ACND also recognizes Easel Art Supply Center for donating art supplies given to participants.
The exhibit is free and continues through February 12, 2011. The ACND Gallery of Art will present Benjamin Rusnak’s ‘Dreams and Tempests’ for a limited engagement in Miami. This traveling exhibition of 5’x5′ black and white photos showcases Rusnak’s work with the Food for the Poor organization operating out of Latin America & the Caribbean. His work has been recognized by Pictures of the Year International, the Best of Photojournalism, and the New York Photo Awards. Rusnak’s work has recently been on display at the World Bank in Washington, D.C., KONA Gallery, CA, and George Mason University, VA and he has spoken about his work to people of all ages including engagements at the University of Florida and University of Central Florida. The opening reception will be held on Saturday, February 19, 2011 at 7:00 p.m. and the exhibit continues through March 19, 2011. Admission is free. More information about gallery hours and future exhibits can be found at www.acnd.net
Wonderful !