Dominican Culture Minister Roberto Ángel Salcedo has inaugurated the new Mao Daniel A. Colón Fine Arts School in the city of Mao, creating a dedicated facility for cultural education in the northwestern province of Valverde.
The institution will operate inside the José Francisco Peña Gómez Municipal Cultural Center under a joint partnership between the Ministry of Culture and the Mao Municipal Council.
Speaking during the opening ceremony, Salcedo highlighted the importance of establishing a space devoted to artistic training, fostering creativity, and discovering new talent within the municipality.
Salcedo explained that the launch of the school forms part of a broader decentralisation policy driven by the Ministry of Culture. He said the initiative is designed to bring arts education and creative practice directly to children and young people throughout the country.
The minister noted that the policy strengthens the presence of official cultural institutions and programmes outside the major metropolitan areas of Santo Domingo, the national capital, and Santiago, the nation's second city. By expanding these services into provincial regions, the ministry aims to widen access to artistic development opportunities across the Dominican Republic.
Promoting Provincial Arts
The inauguration event brought together key national and provincial figures, including General Director of Fine Arts Marinella Sallent, Valverde Provincial Governor Marta Collado, and Mao Mayor Yohendy Jiménez, along with leaders from the regional cultural community.
Officials noted that the opening provides a major stimulus for current and future generations of artists in Mao and across Valverde province. The center offers a permanent venue where children and youth can develop their talents, explore creative callings, and engage regularly with varied artistic disciplines.
The new school bears the name of Daniel A. Colón, honoring his legacy within the local community. It is situated within the municipal cultural center named after Dr. José Francisco Peña Gómez, a historic Dominican political figure who was born in the Valverde region.
Mao, formally known as Santa Cruz de Mao, is the capital municipality of Valverde province. Located in the Cibao valley roughly 210 kilometres northwest of Santo Domingo, the municipality serves as the primary administrative and commercial center for the surrounding agricultural region.
National Cultural Strategy
The ceremony concluded with a musical performance by student members of the Mao Municipal Band of Musicians, who provided the artistic finale to the celebration.
Organisers described the performance as marking the beginning of a new phase for arts instruction and cultural promotion in the region. The opening comes as the Ministry of Culture accelerates broader efforts across the Dominican Republic to rehabilitate fine arts schools and regional venues, including the Manuel Rueda hall in Santo Domingo.
The General Directorate of Fine Arts, an agency under the Ministry of Culture, manages state specialized schools, national theatre companies, and public arts academies, working to standardize artistic curricula and expand access across the Caribbean nation.
