Winchester artist receives two awards for teaching

WINSTED — A Laurel City artist who teaches, writes, paints, makes films and takes photographs is the recipient of two awards this month for his work as an educator.

Florin I. Firimita of Winchester was notified last month that he would receive a gold medal for teaching from the Alliance for Young Artists & Writers, the national nonprofit organization that runs the Scholastic Art & Writing Awards. He was also chosen by Naugatuck Valley Community College to receive one of the school’s inaugural Adjunct Faculty Awards.

“My students have been getting so many awards lately,� Firimita said Tuesday in a phone interview. “They are being recognized for their work, but this year they decided to recognize the mentors and the teachers.�

Firimita’s gold medal for teaching salutes his work as an art teacher at Pomperaug Regional High School and will be presented in a June 9 ceremony at Carnegie Hall in New York City.

Two art students and another teacher from the Pomperaug regional school district (Region 15) will be honored at the event. Lauren Reilly, a student at Memorial Middle School in Middlebury, and Libby Miserendino, a student at Pomperaug Regional High School, won gold medals for sculpture and painting, respectively. Teacher David SantaMaria of Memorial Middle School also won a gold medal for teaching.

Firimita’s second honor, the Adjunct Faculty Award, was presented by Naugatuck Valley Community College. The criteria for the award included creativity in teaching, impact on students, support from colleagues and contributions to the profession.

Whether it’s in high school or at the community college, Firimita said he demands hard work from his students.

“The students I teach are advanced placement, which is kind of brutal,� he acknowledged. “I wouldn’t take it if I was a student. It’s like the Olympics of art. Students have to build up a body of work and it takes a lot of effort.�

Numerous students have won regional and national recognition for their work, even if they do not end up going into careers in art.

And most don’t.

Firimita said most of his high school students are not planning to be full-time artists, but he said art classes help students succeed in other fields.

“I think what people are acknowledging is that without creativity you can’t succeed in the marketplace,� he said. “A lot of students are going on to careers in science or archaeology, but they can apply this everywhere. Ultimately it’s thinking outside the box.�

Firimita is a native of Romania who came to the United States two decades ago to escape Communism and grow as an artist. With little knowledge of the English language, he began taking classes at Naugatuck Valley Community College.

“I’m teaching in the same room I was in as a student 20 years ago,� he said. “It’s a way of giving back to the community.�

To celebrate the accomplishments of the 2010 National Award winners and to honor the legacy of The Scholastic Awards, the Empire State Building will be lit in gold on the evening of June 9 during the ceremony at Carnegie Hall. New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg has proclaimed June 9 as The Scholastic Art & Writing Awards Day.

Firimita said the visit to New York City will include behind-the-scenes art and culture events and opportunities to meet some of the city’s cultural leaders.

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