Abstract

Founded in 1983, Chavón La Escuela de Diseño is a post-secondary art and design school located in the Dominican Republic. It has been identified as the country’s most renowned art school, maintaining a reputation of excellence and standing apart from all other art schools in the country due to its program structure, pedagogical methods and strong community of artists.

The purpose of this research is to document the untold history and legacy of this school to understand its educational philosophy as told by its students, teachers and administrators. The analysis of the participants stories aim to provide an understanding of Chavón’s contribution to post-secondary art education in the Dominican Republic and to explore how the congruence of modernist and postmodernist orientations in Chavón La Escuela de Diseño’s curriculum has been successful in the training and professional placement of its students.

This research highlights how the school has been able to survive by going through constant changes, building a strong sense of community, promoting hard work and discipline, and teaching a curriculum based on students needs and industry demands. This has led to the creation of a strong community of artists and designers in the Dominican Republic thanks to the legacy of Chavón La Escuela de Diseño.