The prestigious Altos de Chavón School of Art and Design, which has been graduating students since 1983, has become the home of many Dominican and foreign artists and designers now widely recognized for their work in the fashion, graphic design and the fine arts.
There is no doubt that the Altos de Chavón School of Art and Design knows how to prepare students for their future careers in their chosen art area, and this time we introduce Emilio Oscar, current student in his second year of Graphic Design.
“At the school, you breath and live for art.” ~ Emilio Oscar
Emilio Oscar, from La Romana told his family that he had to study at Chavón no matter what, and that’s exactly what he did. Emilio was accepted with a scholarship.
Living outside of La Romana, in the faraway community of Lechuga, he has to wake up extremely early for classes. Fitting in work around such a long commute has been one of Emilio’s biggest challenges, but it has certainly been worth it.
He describes his time in Chavón as “awesome, super and incredible”,and we had the chance to ask Emilio a few questions about his experience and perspective of the school.
@cdcliving: Why did you want to study at the Altos de Chavón School of Art and Design?
I always told myself and my family that I was coming to this school. It was one of my biggest goals and I did it, I sent my portfolio like everyone does and I got accepted with a scholarship, my whole family and I were extremely happy about it.
@cdcliving: How does the distance affect you in terms of time, as well as personally?
I live in the community of Lechuga so it’s definitely hard for me, the schedule is very demanding and our classes are from 8am to 6pm, some people stay until 9pm depending on the amount of work they have, like I’ve done on several occasions. For me it’s waking up extremely early to catch the bus, I’m actually far from La Romana, so I have to make sure I’m on time.
It does affect me personally, it’s already hard for the resident students that live at Altos de Chavón, but having to travel daily to get here, lacking sleep and rest it’s even harder, but it’s a sacrifice that is worth it for sure.
@cdcliving: What is your view about the school?
The school is awesome, I think that coming here has definitely been one of the best experiences I’ve ever had. It gives you the chance to develop yourself not only as an individual, but also as an artist. It has been amazing!
About The Altos de Chavón School of Art and Design
The Altos de Chavón Cultural Center Foundation is a U.S. not-for- profit public charity that has a cultural and educational mission here in the Dominican Republic. The school is on a university level and offers an associate degree, with many students continuing on to Parsons School of Design (now called The Parsons New School For Design) in NY. Founded in 1983 to meet the growing commercial demands of the Dominican Republic, the School of Design offers an intensive two-year program leading to the degree of Associate in Applied Science.
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