CREC Museum Academy celebrated the opening of its new facility with a ribbon-cutting ceremony. Since 2008, the interdistrict pre-k to grade five magnet school moved three times and had recently been located at two temporary sites. After nearly a decade of waiting, yesterday’s ribbon cutting was even more special.

The ceremony was host to teachers, students, parents, CREC leaders, Bloomfield politicians, members of the QA+M Architecture design team, and the BB&E contracting team. CREC Executive Director Greg Florio remarked, “I can’t wait to see the student learning and achievement that will take place in this remarkable educational facility.” 

This new, 76,000-SF specialty magnet school represents a true melding of architecture and program: a facility designed to support a unique educational pedagogy.  At Museum Academy, students develop their curiosity about the world through visual arts, living museums, performances, and exhibition. In addition to the core curriculum, the PreK-5th grade students must learn to present their work in a “museum-like” manner via visual arts, music, and dance.  

The facility’s unique space emulates a professional museum that allows the school to showcase student exhibits, transforming the facility into a creative, hands-on learning environment where themed-learning is on display. 

“We had a dedicated team, including the architect, consultants, construction manager and every contractor onsite, to make this incredible school. I’m grateful to everyone who was involved in and committed to this project,” said CREC Construction Project Manager Antonietta DiBenedetto.