The Ignatian Center for the Arts , inaugurated in October 2003, is the hub of the Humanities Department. The department includes the following academic areas: Art, Art History, Drama, Music, Music History, Philosophy and Stagecraft. These fields of study are taught in formal academic courses, but the theoretical knowledge becomes real in the facilities of the Center.
These facilities include the 665 seat, state-of-the-art, Roca Theater, the Saladrigas Gallery, the stagecraft workshop, the art studio, and the band hall. The Saladrigas Gallery has two annual exhibitions curated by professionals and a third, exhibiting the work of Belen students.
The 140-member Belen Concert Band was established five years ago. A year later, the more selective Belen Jazz Band was formed; it has won second place trophies competing in Disney World and the Miami-Dade Youth Fair. Last Spring, the Belen Jazz Trio won a first place trophy at Miami-Dade Youth Fair. The Belen Drum-line has met with “loud” success in pep-rallies and athletic competitions. The bands have two annual concerts in the Roca Theater; they are also invited to perform at fund-raisers of local charities.
Drama classes use the Roca Theater for their performances. Sets are built by our students in the Stagecraft class. Belen presents two high school dramatic productions annually and a third from the Middle School. In only six years, classics like Death of a Salesman, Fuenteovejuna, The Time of Your Life, The Servant of Two Masters, Tartuffe and the broadway musicals, The Fantasticks, A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum and Godspell have met with the approval of audiences at the Roca Theater. This fall, the school will be performing One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest and in spring 2010, the Broadway musical hit West Side Story.