New World School of the Arts¹ 2016 BFA final visual arts showcase is a group exhibition highlighting a variety of works from 28 visual artists of divergent disciplines. Professionally curated by NWSA dean of the visual arts program, Maggy Cuesta and gallerist Fredric Snitzer, this exhibition offers unique approaches to the process of making art in all mediums. ³This conceptual and highly developed work is the result of our student¹s determination and training,² explained Cuesta. ³The show demonstrates their ability to take theory, concepts, and the skill they have honed throughout the years to create their final showcase before they enter the world of professional artists or continue to pursue their advanced degrees.²
Opening Reception: Friday, May 27; 7 PM-10 PM. Cisneros Fontanals Art Foundation (CIFO), 1018 North Miami Avenue, Miami, FL 33136. URGENT is on view May 28-29 and June 2-5; 10 AM-6 PM. Exhibition is free and open to the public.
³The NWSA BFA exhibition has historically been the first public exposure for some of the most successful artists to come out of Miami and this year it promises to be the no exception,² said Snitzer, respected Miami gallerist who teaches at New World School of the Arts.
Among the works to be presented is Same? by Ramses Machado, who entered the NWSA BFA program with the intention of furthering his painting skills and later changed his major to graphic design. ³This BFA work is the result of a four-year personal transition from fine arts to graphic design. I want to show the viewers what makes me different from other graphic designers featuring the similarities and differences.² Ramses utilizes signs and symbols in his large-scale work, which measures approximate 6¹x30² to ³lead viewers to imagine someone whom they haven¹t met and possibly to reconstruct a new person – a hybrid out of the complicated and yet clearly descriptive anatomy. I also try to quantify the aura of the figure, which refers to an invisible spirit and soul, drawing halo-like curves around the head.² The artist also aims to express his thoughts on painting, his perspective on the world, and the energy of an artist through his info graphics.
Grace Berrios¹ Tongue Ambiguous explores the ambiguity of meaning that derives from language barriers. ³The idea for the project came about as I looked back at my life and realized how the transition I made when I immigrated from Honduras to the United States changed me. Not knowing the language and having to learn it to effectively communicate with others, while still keeping an understanding of the world in my own language, affected the way I thought, the way I behaved, and the way I understood others.² Berrios work aims to offers an experience that highlights the process of trying to understand the meaning of information in another language and how phrases that are inherently familiar to a person can easily be lost in translation. ³I think there is an important dialogue in addressing language assimilation and how it influences our perspectives as individuals,² said Grace. ³Moreover, I want to open up a conversation about the linguistic barriers that affect immigrants and how Spanish and Latino cultures get assimilated into American society.²
In Big Water, Hugo Patao a graduating painting major uses mixed media to create environments hat he calls his own ³mindscapes. ³Working primarily with painting, I make layered, photo-based works that have an abstract look.² Explained Patao, ³What interest me the most is the nature of reality, including perception, memory, time, and dreams. I like to explore imagined places that have the potential to become real, or real places that looked imagined.²
Participating BFA students include: Jacqueline M. Albano, O¹Neal Bardin, Brooke M. Baumgartner, Maria C. Benatuil, Grace K. Berrios, Ariel A. Brett, German E. Caceres, Luis A. Colina, Jennifer Antoinette Cuenca, Caroline N. Flores, Ani Gonzalez, Tianna Nicole Harvey, Genevieve I. Lacroix, Ramses Machado, Jessica Martin, Ian C. Melgarejo, Miguel A. Mendoza, Elizabeth L. Newberry, Melissa L. Nunez, Hugo Patao, Devora Perez, Dianna Grace Perez, Mai S. Salomonovitz, Jonathan Sanabria, Richard Sanchez, John Soto, Jonathan Spitzer, Joshua T. Veasey.
As part of a partnership with the Cisneros Fontanals Art Foundation (CIFO)¹ director Eugenio Valdes Figueroa reviewed all graduating student¹s portfolios. In addition to this collaboration, CIFO will be more involved with students in their last year by having them participate in CIFO¹s yearly programming. ³We are very happy to be part of Miami¹s new generation of artists graduating from NWSA and look forward to be an active participant in Miami¹s artistic future.² explained Valdes Figueroa. URGENT will open at the CIFO Space located in downtown Miami.
CIFO is a non-profit organization founded in 2002 by Ella Fontanals Cisneros and her family, to foster cultural and educational exchange among the visual arts. CIFO has become a dynamic institution promoting cultural exchange through its exhibitions and events.
New World School of the Arts is a center for excellence in the visual and performing arts. It provides a comprehensive educational program of artistic training, academic and creative development, and preparation for professional careers in the arts. New World School of the Arts was created by the Florida Legislature, as a center of excellence in the performing and visual arts. It is an educational partnership of Miami-Dade County Public Schools, Miami Dade College and the University of Florida.
Information about the NWSA Visual Arts Program is available at 305-237-3649, or at http://nwsa.mdc.edu/.
