Back to school
Lacroix was only missing one thing: a degree in the field. When she attended college the first time around, the girl chose a seemingly more practical major — nutritional sciences. But , at 50, the lady decided it was time to get the degree she’d always wanted.
Lacroix is an assistant program director at the particular Herbert Wertheim College of Medicine’s Green Family Foundation Neighborhood Health Education Learning Program (NeighborhoodHELP) outreach team. She decided FIU was the perfect place to work and study. She enrolled in the university’s BFA in art.
“I started taking classes and realized all the things I didn’t know, ” she says. “Art history has opened my eyes. I discovered so many artists plus it all clicks now. I has been concerned since I’d been working as a professional artist for 25 years. I didn’t know what the classmates would think of me sitting in class. But, everyone was so welcoming. They felt they could learn from me. I’ve learned from my professors and from the young people in class, too. ”
Through the program, she met a newfound source of wisdom — David Chang, Frost Professor associated with Art, founding director of the Academy of Portrait and Figurative Art and director associated with art education.
“Professor Chang is therefore talented, ” says Lacroix, who is part of Chang’s Academy of Portrait plus Figurative Artwork. “He’s a hyper-realist. And he knows the business of artwork. If We had fulfilled him earlier, I would not have already been taken advantage of as an artist. I might not have been paid 10% associated with what a painting was worth. ”
This year offers marked incredible successes with regard to Lacroix. The girl earned “Best in Show” award for one of her paintings through Studio 18 in the particular City of Pembroke Pines. Lacroix has also been selling her paintings like hotcakes. She chronicles her progress on works of art through videos on social media. That’s where customers see the girl works, and even before she’s finished with the paintings, she’s already received offers and sold them.
Earning the top award at the Biennial will be further proof of her chops as an artist.
“Having had Sophia in the School of Family portrait and Radical Art plus witnessed her commitment and growth, I am not really surprised by her success today, ” Chang says. “Not only does the girl have the talent, but more importantly, the lady possesses the particular kind of drive plus diligence that warrant achievement professionally. We are very proud associated with Sophia. ”
Cornflowers , an oil on canvas painting. This is one of three of Lacroix’s images that were selected within 2021 simply by the Associated with North Miami as component of the U-Wrap NoMi, a project that will reproduced various pieces because wrap-arounds on utility boxes. The utility box featuring this particular image can be found on the southwest corner of Biscayne Boulevard and 123rd Street in North Miami.