Students and alumni from Florida International University (FIU) and the New World School of the Arts have come together in a groundbreaking exhibition titled “Can We Be Friends? A Collective Effort for Common Ground.” This timely, community-engaged project showcases the power of cross-institutional collaboration and the transformative potential of artistic exchange.
The initiative began when O. Gustavo Plascencia, Dean of Visual Arts at NWSA, invited artist and advocate Sharon Louden, founder of the Institute for Sustained Creativity and editor of the Living and Sustaining a Creative Life series, to engage with students on building sustainable artistic practices. In response, Louden proposed expanding the conversation to include Florida International University. Initially supported by Jennifer Printz, then Director of the MFA Program at FIU, the collaboration is now coordinated in partnership with Tori Arpad-Cotta, Chair and Associate Professor of Art + Art History at FIU.
What started as a series of conversations among students and alumni from both institutions quickly evolved into a dynamic creative partnership. Through two in-person gatherings, one at each school, participants shared ideas, explored common values, and expressed a desire for deeper artistic connection. These discussions laid the foundation for a collective visual exploration that now culminates in this exhibition.
“This exhibition celebrates the collaborative spirit and creative exchange between students from FIU and New World School of the Arts,” said Plascencia. “Rooted in community and shared exploration, the show reflects the power of dialogue and connection in shaping meaningful artistic practices.”
At New World School of the Arts, visual arts students explore and develop their personal artistic and aesthetic vision while being guided by a dynamic and distinguished faculty who are all practicing artists. Through disciplined training in traditional and new media, students also develop new skills and refine others while gaining invaluable understanding of the roles of art and design in society. Areas of concentration in visual arts include Art & Technology, Drawing, Graphic Design, Painting, Photography, Printmaking, and Sculpture. Information about the NWSA visual arts program is available at 305-237-3620.
A Florida center of excellence in the visual and performing arts, New World School of the Arts is an educational partnership of Miami-Dade County Public Schools, Miami Dade College, and University of Florida. NWSA provides a comprehensive program of artistic, creative, and academic development through a curriculum that reflects our community and the rich multicultural state of Florida. Through our partners NWSA confers the high school diploma, Associate of Arts degree, and Bachelor of Fine Arts and Bachelor of Music degrees in programs accredited by the National Association of Schools of Dance, Music, Theater and Art & Design. NWSA’s rigorous eight-year curriculum and conservatory-style teaching has empowered students in our community and our nation to become leaders in the arts for more three decades. Information about New World School of the Arts at 305-237-3135 or nwsa.mdc.edu.
Founded by artists for artists in 1998, Locust Projects is Miami’s longest running nonprofit alternative art space. Locust Projects produces, presents, and nurtures ambitious and experimental new art and the exchange of ideas through commissioned exhibitions and projects, artist residencies, summer art intensives for teens, and public programs on contemporary art and curatorial practice. As a leading incubator of new art and ideas, Locust Projects emphasizes boundary-pushing creative endeavors, risk-taking and experimentation by local, national, and international artists.
CAN WE BE FRIENDS? A COLLECTIVE EFFORT
Opening Reception: September 6; 5-8 PM
On view September 6-26
FIU Miami Beach Visual Arts Gallery
1602A Washington Avenue, Miami Beach
Free and open to the public