The Association of Art Chroniclers (Acroarte) was founded on 28th of February from 1984 by a group of communicators with the vision of creating a guild that would not only bring together professionals in the arts and entertainment industry, but would also establish an award to recognize the best of artistic talent in the Dominican RepublicThe institution was formally incorporated on September 19, 1986 through the Decree 241 of the Executive Branch.
Headquartered in Santo Domingo, Acroarte has subsidiaries in Santiago, Florida and New York (United States), consolidating its presence both nationally and internationally. The organization operates under a pluralistic and democratic framework, admitting journalists specializing in arts and entertainment to print, radio, and television media.
Creation of the Casandra Awards and its evolution into the Sovereign Awards
In 1985, Acroarte established the Cassandra Awards, with the purpose of valuing the work of Dominican artists in various areas. In September 2012, these awards were renamed Sovereign Awards, becoming the most important event in the art and entertainment world in the country. The awards recognize artists in three main categories:
- Classical Art: Includes theater and classical music.
- Folk Art: Recognizes exponents of popular music.
- Communication: Awards television, radio and film talents.
From 1995, Acroarte incorporated international recognition to Latin artists with outstanding careers, awarding the prizes each year International Sovereign Lifetime Achievement Award and International Sovereign to Revelation.
Support and expansion of Acroarte
Acroarte's growth has been driven by the support of the Dominican National Brewery (CND), which became the main sponsor of the awards in 1987 and remains a key ally of the institution. In addition to the annual awards, Acroarte organizes events that celebrate Dominican art, such as:
- The Winning Merengues (2006): A show at the Eduardo Brito National Theater and the Gran Teatro del Cibao, with the winning merengues in the category Merengue of the Year.
- The Magic of a Master (2008): A tribute to the saxophonist in life Felix del Rosario.
- Journalistic Merit Award for Arts and Entertainment (2012): Celebrated on February 28th, in honor of the National Art Chronicler's Day, recognizes the trajectory of the members of Acroarte.
Organizational structure and presidency of the Association of Art Chroniclers
Since its founding, Acroarte has worked to strengthen the guild through academic, social, and cultural initiatives, while also paying tribute to the Dominican artistic community. Its current Executive Committee (2023-2025) is made up of:
- Chairwoman: Wanda Sánchez
- Vice President: Ney Zapata
- General Secretariat: Marivell Contreras
- Secretary of Regional Affairs: José D'Laura
- Secretary of Finance: Eugenio Pérez
- Secretariat of Public Relations: Belkis Castillo
- Secretary of Social and Recreational Affairs: Enriquez Medina
- Secretary of Education and Culture: Santiago Acevedo
- Secretary of International Affairs: Roberto Geronimo
- Santiago Branch: Yamira Taveras
- Florida Branch: José Rosario
- New York Branch: Daniel Valerio
Former Presidents of Acroarte
Throughout its history, the presidency of Acroarte has been in the hands of distinguished art critics:
- J. Eduardo Martinez (1984-1985)
- Carlos T. Martínez (1985-1987)
- José Tejada Gómez (1987-1989, 1995-1997)
- Cristhian Jiménez (1989-1991)
- Joseph Cáceres (1991-1995, 1999-2001)
- Napoleon Beras (1997-1999)
- Miguel A. Rivera (2001-2003)
- Félix Vinicio Lora (2003-2005, 2009-2011)
- Fausto Polanco (2005-2007)
- Marivell Contreras (2007-2009)
- Maximo Jimenez (2011-2013)
- José Antonio Aybar (2013-2015)
- Jorge Ramos (2015-2017)
- Emelyn Baldera (2017-2019, 2021-2023)
- Alexis Beltré (2019-2021)
- Wanda Sánchez (2023-2025)
Read also: History of the Sovereign Awards
