Artist/ Teacher Feature: Eduardo Lacayo

1. Tell us something about yourself: What is your creative history?

My creative history begins as a child. Since elementary school I liked to draw. I remember volunteering to do the drawings for the science lesson when we used to have blackboards.

As a teenager I traveled and lived in Mexico City where I studied Industrial Drawing. I came to Miami as a young adult and graduated from Miami Dade Community College with an AA degree in Architecture. I continued my studies at Florida International University from where I obtained a Bachelor of Fine Arts and a Master of Science in Art Education.

I am an active artist in the community. I have participated in numerous exhibitions and received several recognitions. My work has been published and is also on display in private collections including the Florida International University Ronald Reagan Presidential House.

I am currently the High School Art teacher at MAST Academy and an adjunct professor at FIU. I was also the president of Dade Art Educators Association.

2. What inspired you to become an art educator?

In my early 20’s I worked with kids who were school drop outs and gang members. The only thing we had in common was the arts, they knew graffiti and I liked art. I organized a group of kids to create murals with positive messages in their communities. They responded well and even helped some of them to get back to school. At this moment I knew that through the arts I could influence and be a positive role model for younger kids. That is when I decided to stop architecture and obtain a Bachelor in Fine Arts and eventually a Masters in Art Education. The universe had set my path into education.

3. How long have you been teaching?

Twenty-two years.

4. What is your favorite medium to work in and why?

I like to draw and paint. But I consider myself a painter. I am able to paint with any medium but my favorite medium is oils. I mostly use Sennelier oils; I love the texture and richness of the colors of this brand.

5. What is your proudest teaching moment?

My most recent proudest teaching moment was to help organize and establish the first annual Art and Music Night at MAST Academy. The school newspaper described it as “A New tradition begins”. It took place on December 5, 2019. Between the middle and high school we had a little over 300 of our student’s artwork on display. Close to 200 individuals attended the event.

6. If you could have lunch with any artist in the world (living or not) who would it be and why?

They are so many artists I would like to meet. There are so many stories I would like to learn.

For this answer, the artist(s) I would choose to have lunch with are Da Vinci, Michelangelo, and Salvador Dali.

I would love to learn what motivated them to create what they did. What energy level they had to keep doing and searching. I would like to know how Da Vinci knew to create all his futuristic inventions when the technology to create them did not exist. What was he looking at, thinking, or dreaming of?

Michelangelo please let me see you work on one of your sculptures.

Dali what do you dream of? How do you capture one second of your dreams in an eternal painting?

7. What are your personal and professional art dreams for the future?

Wow. I just want to keep creating, doing my best, and help whoever I can help until I cannot do it anymore. I try not to worry about the things I cannot control. I let go and let God take care of things.

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