ESCOLARTE – Pedagogical and Curatorial Program
Escolarte is an art and education program that promotes the holistic development of children and young people through artistic experiences, innovative pedagogical processes, and community engagement projects.
Areas of action:
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Salón Juvenil Escolarte (Youth Art Exhibition)
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Congreso Escolarte (Escolarte Conference)
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Escolarte Art-Pedagogy Residency
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Research, publications, and teacher training
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Our mission is to foster arts education for the development of creativity and sensitivity in secondary-school youth, promoting individual and cultural expression in the Zulia region, Venezuela.
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Vision: ESCOLARTE seeks to develop a comprehensive arts education program that serves as a regional and national model, driving interdisciplinary education, critical and creative thinking rooted in local realities, through continuous pedagogical programming with cultural and social impact.
Since its founding in 2015, ESCOLARTE has driven the cultural and personal growth of young people through workshops, exhibitions, and the Youth Art Exhibition (Salón de Arte Juvenil). As the project expands, we aim to increase our coverage and reach, strengthening the values of cultural identity and social responsibility.
General objective
To strengthen the artistic and cultural development of secondary-school youth in Venezuela through a continuous program of exhibitions, workshops, and art competitions that inspire creativity and critical thinking.
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Educational impact: Development of artistic, cultural, and critical thinking skills in young people; raising awareness of the value of art in holistic education.
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Cultural impact: ESCOLARTE promotes cultural identity and diversity, strengthening a sense of belonging and community with each edition of the Youth Art Exhibition.
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Social impact: Through the inclusion of the school community, families, and friends in the exhibitions, the program strengthens the social network and contributes to a culture of peace and mutual understanding.
Fostering creativity and innovation as key 21st-century skills
ESCOLARTE prioritizes creativity — considered one of the essential skills for the 21st century — helping students develop innovative thinking and problem-solving abilities.
Partial, situated, and contextual learning
ESCOLARTE is grounded in situated learning: the idea that knowledge is acquired and made meaningful within specific contexts relevant to students. This approach allows students to connect their learning to their personal experiences and immediate surroundings, making learning more relevant and applicable.
Learning based on intuition and individual skills
ESCOLARTE respects and promotes each participant's intuitive development and unique abilities, creating an environment where they can explore and express their imagination in their own way. This approach allows learning to emerge from each student's existing strengths and experiences, nurturing their creative growth.
Intercultural education and coexistence
ESCOLARTE creates a space of expressive freedom where students from different cultural backgrounds can express themselves, generating intercultural learning. This practice promotes the diversity and respect needed for education in a globalized world.
Fostering interdisciplinary learning
By combining art with personal, local, and global themes — including discussions on sustainability, history, science, and society — ESCOLARTE creates an interdisciplinary approach that helps students see the connections between different areas of knowledge
Impact & Track Record
Since its founding in 2015, ESCOLARTE has built an eleven-year track record, reaching its 9th edition in 2026 (one year was paused due to the pandemic).
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Sustained growth: from a historical average of 15 institutions and 40 students per edition, to 30 institutions and 90 students in its most recent year — doubling its reach.
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A real institutional network: ESCOLARTE has worked with over 25 educational institutions in a single edition (2026), alongside stable institutional partners such as Universidad Rafael Urdaneta (URU), the Centro Venezolano Americano del Zulia (CEVAZ), Fundación Belloso, and local sponsors.
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A university-community model: community-service students from URU's School of Architecture serve as program facilitators, connecting ESCOLARTE with schools — a university-community model that strengthens the program's sustainability beyond any one person's effort.
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Institutional continuity: the Salón has been consistently held in recognized cultural venues, including CEVAZ Gallery, cementing its presence in Maracaibo's cultural circuit.
ESCOLARTE Team:
We are a collective of artists and educators who believe in art as a bridge for personal growth, pedagogical integration, the strengthening of cultural identity, and the building of creative, supportive communities.
Dr. Elsy Zavarce, Founding Director
Dr. Javier Mariné von Buren, URU Community Service Coordinator
Dr. Laura Rodríguez, Jury and Operations Coordinator
Dr. María Verónica Machado, Academic Advisor
Dr. Elizabeth García, Academic Advisor
Dra Lourdes Penaranda, asesora academica
Mgs, Elizabeth Saez
Mgs Ana Aldazoro
Arq. Luis Gomez, comunciation advisor
Collaborators:
Dr. José Antonio Hernández Montiel
Mgs Stefania Hernandez
Arch. Roberto Urdaneta
Lic. Bárbara Carroz
Lic. María Elena Neuman
Maracaibo, Zulia State, VENEZUELA