By Lisa Morales - Archbishop Curley Notre Dame HS
MIAMI | Archbishop Curley Notre Dame Prep’s sixth annual Middle School Art Festival celebrates the artistic talent of 34 middle school students from Miami-Dade Catholic and private schools.
The festival opened with a private reception for students and their families the evening of Jan. 27. The exhibit will remain on view to the community until the end of February at the ACND Gallery of Art at Archbishop Curley Notre Dame Prep from Monday to Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. Admission is free.
The schools participating in this year’s festival are: St. Mary Cathedral, Our Lady of the Lakes, St. John the Apostle, Holy Cross Lutheran, St. Agnes, Brother Rice Honors Academy, and Sts. Peter and Paul.
The festival gives participants an opportunity to learn what artists typically have to do to get their art displayed. First, the middle school art teachers select works to represent their school. Then the artwork is evaluated by jurists who provide constructive criticism and encourage the students to further develop their skills. At the opening reception, all students receive a copy of their reviews and an award for participating.
“Our middle school art festival is a community celebration of artistic aptitude,” said Douglas Romanik, ACND principal. “By involving art professionals who offer critiques in a non-competitive environment, we hope to promote a lifelong appreciation of art and encourage students to further develop their skills.”
This year’s jurists are:
Sean McCormick, owner of McCormick Place, a multifaceted arts space located in downtown Miami. The main floor consists of a gallery and special events space and there are six floors of artist studios. McCormick’s father and siblings are graduates of either Archbishop Curley or Notre Dame Academy.
Carmen Aguirre, an alumna of Notre Dame Academy (the girls’ school once separate from Archbishop Curley and now merged as ACND Prep.) Aguirre is an independent journalist, artist, and community and media relations consultant who serves as Founder's Circle Member of Arts for Learning.
Cuqui Beguiristain, an alumna of Notre Dame Academy who holds a degree in marketing but whose entire professional career has been dedicated to the arts. Beguiristain is director of MANO Fine Art, co-owner of miArte Gallery, Coral Gables, and presides on the steering committee of the award-winning Bird Road Art Walk.
MANO, who graduated as an electrical engineer but after 20 years of working at that profession began to pursue a fulltime career in art. MANO has received numerous recognitions for his work and his art can be found in private and corporate collections around the world.
Tina Salvesen, who recently returned to her native Florida after living in the Northeast and Europe for many years. Salvesen attended Skidmore College, received a bachelor's degree in art and holds a master's in art education from Temple University. She has exhibited widely and won many awards in various shows throughout the U.S. She is a resident artist at Bakehouse Art Complex in Wynwood.
To learn more about ACND Prep’s visual art opportunities, fine arts programs, and visual and performing arts summer camp, visit www.acnd.net.