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On Saturday the 18th of May, the Altos de Chavon School of Art and Design celebrated their 29th graduation in the Flamboyan Casa de Campo Conference Center, with 60 talented youngsters, who had just finished youths 2 years studying Fashion Design, Graphic Design, Fine Arts and Illustration.
Hundreds of people, including friends, teachers and families of the students witnessed this important moment in the lives of these students. With the knowledge and skills they have acquired in Altos de Chavón, they now head out into the world to make a name for themselves and to continue to elevate the already excellent reputation of the Altos de Chavón School of Art and Design, which has been graduating students from its two-year associate-degree program, affiliated with New York City’s prestigious Parsons “The New School For Design” since 1983.
Group of Fine Arts Students of the Altos de Chavón School of Art & Design
The rector of the school, Stephen Kaplan, said to casadecampoliving.com that he feels very privileged to work with both Dominicans and foreigners at the school, and that over the years he has seen many talented youths, which it has been an honour to work with.
Ceremony
Around 12:00 p.m. on Saturday, the students made their grand entrance to the hall- where their family and friends were waiting for them- with the song “Freedom” sung by Nana Mouskouri, as background.
Each student wore a different color depending on their course specialism; red for fashion design, yellow for graphic design and dark blue for the fine arts students.
Teachers and Students during the ceremony in Casa de Campo
Following the the National Anthem and blessing by Father Victor Garcia of the San Antonio de Padua Parish and St. Stanislaus Cracobia, the master of ceremony, Carmen Lorente,-who is also the director of special projects in the New York office of the school-introduced the special guests.
These were Anne Gaines, the current director of the School of Arts, Media and Technology (AMT) at Parsons, New York; Adolfo Despradel, graduate of the Chavón School and current director of the Department of Design and Planning of Costasur, Melanie Reim, American illustrator and occasional instructor at the Chavón School of Design; Miguel Valenzuela, director of the National School of Visual Arts, and Ben Vencial Gil, Dominican architect and founder of the Dominican Academy of Architecture and Urbanism (ACADA).
Among the most salient aspects of the event was the speech by Mrs. Melanie Reim- someone considered by Mr. Kaplan as “a whirlwind of a teacher in Chavon”. Reim In her speech -full of dynamic and playful illustrations- urged graduates to not be mediocre with their works. Also impactful was the presentation of valedictorian student graphic design graduate Jose Marte David Olivares, Summa Cum Laude, and the special thanks of a family who have all studied at the Altos de Chavon School of Design in different times of their lives.
Senior Thesis exhibition in La Galeria in Altos de Chavón
At the end of the event at Flamboyan Conference Center, the students along with their guest went to The Gallery, in Altos de Chavon, where were their works were on exhibition and they enjoyed a refreshing cocktail.
Congratulations and success to all!