ACES Educational Center for the Arts

ECA would like to give a huge shoutout to upcoming senior, Caleb Somerville!
Caleb is pictured with his mom in front of his award-winning artwork at the United States Capitol, alongside Congressman Jim Himes.
Congratulations to Caleb for proudly representing Connecticut's 4th Congressional District in Washington, D.C.! His artwork has been selected for display in the Cannon Congressional Art Tunnel at the U.S. Capitol, where it will be exhibited for one full year.
We are incredibly proud of your talent, creativity, and accomplishment. Congratulations, Caleb!


Click the link below to view the complete list of the 2026 Congressional Art Competition winners.

https://www.congressionalinstitute.org/art-contest-winners/ #

🌟 ECA Spotlight: Tessa & Alessia! 🌟

To say it was a busy weekend would be an understatament. Mean Girls was double casted and had 2 incredibly talented casts!
A huge congratulations to two of our incredible upcoming sophomores in ECA’s Theatre Department, Tessa Vallen and Alessia Mirci, on their outstanding performances in Mean Girls!

In this production of Mean Girls, Tessa brought the hilarious and unforgettable Mrs. George to life with incredible comedic timing, confidence, and charisma. She had the audience laughing every time she stepped on stage!

Alessia shined as Cady Heron, delivering a heartfelt, dynamic, and captivating performance that showcased both her talent and stage presence. She truly embraced the role from beginning to end.

We are so proud to have both of you as part of the ECA family, and we can’t wait to see all that you’ll accomplish in the years ahead.

Amazing job, ladies! Congratulations on an incredible production!

🌟 ECA Spotlight: Sophia De Oliveira! 🌟

A huge congratulations to Sophia De Oliveira, one of our incredible ECA dancers who will be a junior this upcoming school year!

This weekend, Sophia took the stage as Cady Heron in Mean Girls, and she absolutely owned the role! Her talent, poise, and authenticity made for a truly unforgettable performance. We are so proud of you, Sophia!

The production was presented by New Haven Academy of Performing Arts & Broadway Dance (NHAOPA) and performed at the beautiful Cabaret on Main Theater. Congratulations to the entire cast, crew, directors, creative team, and everyone at NHAOPA for bringing this outstanding production to life.

As Principal, this performance was especially meaningful for me because I had the privilege of watching Sophia as Cady share the stage with my daughter, Myrissa, who portrayed Gretchen Wieners, alongside an extraordinarily talented cast and crew. Watching these young performers support one another and bring such energy, heart, and professionalism to the stage was a true joy.

Sophia, thank you for representing ECA with such excellence. We are so excited to watch you continue to grow as an artist and leader in our Dance Department. The future is bright, and we are cheering you on every step of the way!

P.S. Sophia's mom, Erika, and I just happened to twin with our outfits last night! 😂 Sometimes the best moments happen completely by accident!

Wishing you all a beautiful and safe 4th of July.

🌟 ECA Student Spotlight! 🌟
Congratulations to Henry Mead, one of our Class of 2026 graduates, on being featured in the latest issue of New Haven Magazine as the 2026–2027 New Haven Youth Poet Laureate!
Henry's thoughtful voice, passion for poetry, and commitment to using the arts to inspire conversation and empathy are beautifully showcased in this feature. We are incredibly proud to see one of our own recognized for his talent, creativity, and leadership in our community.
Congratulations, Henry! We can't wait to see where your words take you next!

✨ Today, we honor freedom, resilience, and unity.
At ACES, we proudly celebrate Juneteenth a powerful reminder of the journey toward justice and equality. Let us continue to learn from the past, uplift every voice, and move forward together.

❤️💛💚

Congratulations, ECA Class of 2026!
What a beautiful day celebrating the incredible talent, creativity, and spirit of our graduates. From music, dance, theatre, visual arts, and creative writing, the Class of 2026 has left an indelible mark on the ECA community.
Thank you to our families, faculty, staff, community partners, and neighbors for helping make this day so special. Most importantly, thank you to our graduates for sharing your gifts, your stories, and your hearts with us.

"You will forever hold such a meaningful place in my heart, and I can't wait to follow your journeys. So remember….Do it your way, embrace every landslide, and never lose that feeling. Congratulations, Class of 2026."

Always,
Stefanie

What a joy it was to see ECA students Jorge and Olivia shine in Sleeping Beauty with Shoreline Ballet! These students amaze me with not only what they do in school but outside of school! Jorge is in our Dance Dept. and Olivia is in our Visual Arts Dept. I am beyond proud of them!

Congratulations on a beautiful performance!

Such an awesome day today at ECA with Renee DiNino , from WFSB eyewitness news channel 3 doing a little documentary on how important Heidi, our service dog, is to our ECA community. 🐶🐾🦴❤️

Don't miss your chance to experience some truly incredible upcoming performances at ECA showcasing the creativity, dedication, and artistry of our students.
These events are sure to inspire and entertain!

🎟️ Get your tickets today on our LUDUS platform:
https://aceseca.ludus.com/index.php

Come support our amazing student artists and celebrate the incredible work they have been creating all year long. We can't wait to see you in the audience!