The Art Educator Aglaé Fontes at the Centro de Criatividade (1985–2006): experiments and discoveries

Abstract

This article analyzes the role of Professor Aglaé d’Ávila Fontes as a director and art educator at the Centro de Criatividade, a place located in the capital city of Aracaju, State of Sergipe, from 1985 to 2006, highlighting her contribution to art education in a public cultural space. Founded in 1985, the Centro aimed to spark interest in art among children, adolescents, and adults, offering workshops in music, theater, visual arts, and literature, as well as cultural presentations and art education seminars. Therefore, this study examines the meanings attributed to the space, its architectural design, its interaction with the community, the profile of the audience served, and the activities promoted. The methodology combined documentary analysis of textual and iconographic sources gathered from public and private collections, including Aglaé Fontes’ personal archive and the collection of the Núcleo de Documentação e Memória do Centro de Criatividade, along with oral history interviews conducted specifically for the study. The results emphasize the role of the Centro de Criatividade as a dynamic space for artistic and cultural formation during Aglaé d’Ávila Fontes’ administration, focusing her contribution to the preservation of Sergipe's popular culture and the expansion of the art access and education.