by 
ALEXA ECONOMACOS – THE PEOPLE’S CHOICE – Chained Dreams
Alexa Economacos, a senior at Carrollton School of the Sacred Heart, Miami, Florida, submitted two pieces of art for the Creative Outlook cover contest. Facade and Chained Dreams both landed in the top 10 as far as most votes. As a matter of fact, Chained Dreams took the People’s Choice award with the most votes.
Chained Dreams is a mixed media piece Alexa says brings awareness to the plight of those who are affected by human trafficking. “The butterfly represents those who are brutally forced into lives of servitude and oftentimes stripped of their innocence. The butterfly is still beautiful in its fragility, but its beauty is disregarded. The transparency of the box symbolizes the fact that these victims live among us, but we may not take the time to notice their metaphorical chains.” At school, there is a human rights club that tackles a different theme each year. Last year happened to be about human trafficking.
Even in her International Baccalaureate Visual Arts 2 HL (higher level) class, the environmental issues of coral bleaching will be part of their work, she says. “Our 3D clay works will end up looking like coral reefs.” The IB program for art will give Alexa at least 18 pieces to present to the IB organization. “We continue to create, research and work in our sketchbooks.”
Alexa has been an artist for as long as she can remember. Her parents are both in the banking industry, but they also share art with their daughter as her father sketches and her mother paints. “I guess I inherited both talents,” she says. “When I was about 8 or 9 years old, I started taking art lessons from Puerto Rican artist Ximena Perez. She had me start with acrylics, but by the time I was in sixth grade, I moved to oils. I still visit Ximena when I get stuck.”
While art has seemingly been part of Alexa’s life, her high school career started in her junior year when she was evaluated to join the IB art program under the watchful eye of teacher Kari Snyder. During her freshman and sophomore years, she did policy debate. “I wanted to try something new, but art has always been my true passion.” She has been part of exhibitions around the Miami area.
Along with her art, Alexa is a National Merit Scholar semifinalist. She competed in the 2013 National French Contest and she is the French Honor Society president. She also received an honorable mention as part of the 2013 Scholastic Art Exhibition at the Miami Art Museum. She is also a member of the National Honor Society, National English Honor Society and National Science.
