Grove Arts Festival artists mentor students on making art. Mural at MAST in the works

The 57th Annual Coconut Grove Arts Festival is this weekend.

It’s a busy time for the 350 award-winning artists, especially those who are mentoring and creating with young artists in Miami-Dade County Public Schools.

One of those is Visual Artist Jacqueline Roch, who once designed the 2009 Coconut Grove Art Festival’s annual poster. She grew up on Miami Beach and calls her art “tropical realism.”

Roch is one of 50 Festival artists who volunteer their time to lead workshops and projects throughout the year at different schools.

Her project, she said, is a large marine-themed mural being created by the students at Maritime and Science Technology (MAST) Academy on Virginia Key, a 6-12th grade school with emphasis on STEM classes.

“It’s in progress. I will be working on it once a week for a couple of months with the kids. It’s a cool project,” Roch said. One of her sons graduated from MAST in 2018 and she has two other children at the school.

Eddy Lacayo, MAST’s art teacher, is a big part of the project, she said.

“Mr. Lacayo is an art specialist and also a visual artist. He has brought the importance of art as a profession, the influence of art history, and everyday appreciation of art to the school,” Roch said. “I work with them once a week. He sees them every day.”

“The Festival is unique in that the visiting artist program pairs artists from mediums—clay, sculpture, printmaking—with schools that may not have exposure to these types of art because of their expense, as well as artists from everywhere across the country,” Roch said.

“At MAST, the principal is so thrilled with the project that Mr. Lacayo and I are working on with the students to create murals throughout the new building, not just on the one wall! It’s huge, and a real hands-on legacy project for the kids.”

The Coconut Grove Arts Festival introduced the Visiting Artists Program in 1986.

“It is our mission at the Festival to maintain community-oriented programs,” said Monty Trainer, president of the annual Arts Festival. “The nationally recognized Visiting Artists program is among those and it encourages students to participate in the visual arts as well as to embrace their own style and talents.

“In an environment where the funding of arts education programs is so challenging, it is important to demonstrate to students how art is a necessary part of life.”

The Festival is Feb. 15-17. Children under the age of 12 are admitted free. Residents of Coconut Grove who live within the 33133 ZIP code have a reduced rate of $7 online, $10 at the door.

Proceeds from the annual event help to fund year-round arts programs. Visit www.CGAF.com for information and to purchase tickets from the variety of passes and packages.

Cocoplum helping Gables High students

Working together to help each other, especially our hard-working students, is always good news.

At Coral Gables High School, the determined students have until March 9 to apply for scholarships available through the Islands of Cocoplum Philanthropy Committee and the Coral Gables Community Foundation.

This groundbreaking partnership with the school helps high-performing students attend college and study their chosen field. The program also offers summer internships so the students can gain valuable work experience with businesses in the Coral Gables community.

Anyone can donate to help.

Matt Martinez, Islands of Cocoplum President & Chair of the Philanthropy Committee, said more than 3,200 students are enrolled at Coral Gables Senior High School.

“Of those 90 percent are minorities and 76 percent qualify for free or reduced-price lunches. However, 2,200 students take AP courses, 800 are enrolled in the IB program, 87 percent of the senior class graduates each year and 94 percent of those graduates attend a two- or four-year college. In other words, Coral Gables High School students tend to be economically disadvantaged, yet they are academically astute and excel in the classroom,” Martinez said.

“We are pleased and honored to be a catalyst for positive change in our community. There are numerous business leaders who call Islands of Cocoplum home, and we are proactively connecting our community leaders to these young people so they may gain valuable vocational experience at some of the most prestigious businesses throughout South Florida,” Martinez said.

Gables Commissioner Jorge Fors Jr. said the establishment of a philanthropy committee by a homeowners’ association exemplifies the meaning of the word “community.”

“And this innovative program that gives back to our future leaders through both scholarships and mentorship goes beyond the call of duty. We should all be proud that this organization and these residents call Coral Gables home.”

Gables commissioner Michael Mena said the students at Coral Gables Senior High are “truly extraordinary.”

“The incredible generosity of groups like the Islands of Cocoplum affords these young people the opportunity to continue their studies and get real-life experiences that they might not otherwise be afforded. As a City, we take tremendous pride in these students and their achievements, but also in our residents for giving back to their community in this fashion,” Mena said.

Martinez said he is confident that IOC has established a philanthropic model that could be replicated by any neighborhood or homeowners association that wants to give back to their community in a meaningful way.

Click http://www.islandsofcocoplum.net/philanthropy-initiative/ to make a tax-deductible donation to this worthwhile cause.

This story was originally published February 13, 2020 at 7:00 AM.