CFCF Academy of Arts

This past week, the Cigar Family Charitable Foundation (CFCF) inaugurated its Academy of Arts.

The Fuente and Newman families founded CFCF. CFCF supplies families in the Dominican Republic with education, health care, vocational training, and clean water. Located in the 23-acre Cigar Family project in Bonao, Dominican Republic, the Cigar Family Academy of Arts supports music, arts, and dance programs. The Academy includes four new buildings and an amphitheater for performances. The Cigar Family Academy of Arts will allow CFCF to expand its curriculum to support students who wish to pursue careers in the arts.

In addition,the Academy of Arts received generous support from Hublot, which this week released a collaborative watch project with Arturo Fuente. While the Academy has been open for some time, a formal inauguration took place this past week.

About 100 people attended the grand opening celebration, including the Fuente and Newman families. In addition, executives from Hublot and local dignitaries were in attendance. Finally, Grammy Award-winning Artist Arturo Sandoval inaugurated the new amphitheater with a performance.

“I am enormously grateful to my friends at Hublot for supporting the creation of our new Academy of Arts,” said CFCF co-founder Carlos Fuente, Jr. in a press release. “This beautiful, state-of-the-art facility will give new opportunities to children in the Dominican Republic to pursue their passion and talent in the arts.”

“I want to thank all of the cigar enthusiasts around the world who support CFCF and the children and families it serves through their generous donations or by purchasing a Toast Across America pack,” said CFCF co-founder Eric Newman. “Because the Fuente and Newman families underwrite all of CFCF’s operating costs, every dollar raised goes directly to help children in need.”

This year, 440 students attend CFCF’s primary, high, technical, and arts academies. Since 2004, CFCF has invested over $20 million to support these programs.

“Today was a very special day, a day that should make all of us proud,” said CFCF CEO Scott Lewis. “Words and pictures cannot convey how wonderful this project has turned out. The Cigar Family Academy of Arts will give our students the opportunity to express their creativity in so many ways while they learn and challenge themselves in each of these disciplines.”

For those wishing to donate to CFCF, click here.

For coverage of Cigar Coop’s visit to CFCF, see our coverage from Procigar 2022:

Feature Story: Procigar 2022 Days One & Two, Part Two – Arturo Fuente

Photo Credits: Cigar Coop