Coconut Grove Arts Festival invests in next generation of artists

While the Coconut Grove Arts Festival (CGAF) is widely recognized for its vibrant waterfront showcase of world-class visual art, its impact extends far beyond. The festival has made arts education central to its mission. In partnership with FIU’s College of Communication, Architecture + The Arts (CARTA), the organization pledged $90,000 over three years, distributing approximately $30,000 annually to undergraduate and graduate students in FIU’s Department of Art + Art History.

The scholarship program helps alleviate financial barriers while providing professional exposure and mentorship opportunities that connect students to the broader arts community. By aligning its resources with FIU’s academic excellence, CGAF reinforces its commitment to cultivating local talent and sustaining the region’s creative economy.

Honoring FIU scholarship recipients

The most recent scholarship cycle awarded funding to seven FIU student artists representing a range of disciplines and academic pathways:

• Alexandra Berlin (MFA)
• Facundo Triviño Guevara (BFA Art)
• Amelia Restrepo Herrán (BFA Digital Art)
• Melissa Oliveira (BFA Art)
• Nathalia Padilla (MFA)
• Stephanie Silver (MFA)
• Ana Vergara (MFA)

Recipients were recognized during a special exhibition and celebration at FIU, where they shared their work and reflected on how the scholarship has advanced their artistic development.

For MFA candidate Ana Vergara, the scholarship provided critical support for ambitious research and fabrication work during her graduate studies.

“The Coconut Grove Arts Festival Scholarship supported research and fabrication during my MFA studies. It supported the development of material material material, a new sculptural exhibition examining architecture, labor, and the politics of the built environment, presented at W10 Gallery at the FIU MMC Campus, opening March 21, 2026.”

Vergara’s exhibition underscores the depth of inquiry and experimentation made possible through the scholarship’s support — enabling students to realize complex, concept-driven projects that engage contemporary social and architectural discourse.

Scholarships that go beyond financial aid

Faculty leaders emphasize that the CGAF scholarship provides more than monetary assistance. It offers students meaningful access to professional networks, collectors, and established artists, helping bridge the gap between academic training and career development.

“This extraordinary commitment from the Coconut Grove Arts Festival has elevated students in FIU’s Department of Art + Art History, providing critical financial support that allows them to deepen their studio practice and scholarship, fully engage in the FIU experience, and emerge from FIU prepared to shape the cultural future of South Florida and beyond,” says CARTA Dean Brian Schriner.

By supporting both the creative process and the public presentation of student work, the Coconut Grove Arts Festival ensures its investment generates lasting impact — not only for individual recipients but for the broader South Florida arts community.

As the festival continues its multi-year commitment to FIU, the partnership reflects a shared belief: that empowering emerging artists today strengthens the cultural landscape of tomorrow.