Artist Innovation Fellows to Present Works

Eli Cecil (Cultural Council)

(Press Release) June 18, 2025 (Lake Worth Beach, Fla.) — In 2024, 10 Palm Beach County-based creative professionals were each awarded $7,500 under the Cultural Council for Palm Beach County’s Artist Innovation Fellowship program.

As their year-long fellowship comes to a close, the 2024 cohort will present their culminating works at the Cultural Council’s Lake Worth Beach headquarters this summer. The “2024 Artist Innovation Fellowship Showcase” runs July 11 through Aug. 29, 2025. 

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​An opening reception to celebrate the artists’ efforts over the past year will occur on Thursday, July 10 at 5:30 p.m. The reception will feature special performances by Victoria Cardona, with selections from her new album, and Noah Garbarino on the drum and zither (a type of stringed instrument). Guests can also learn more about the projects from each fellow throughout the Council's three galleries. They'll also be able to view artworks from the program's participating visual artists—such as Eli Cecil, who will present his blown glass, including a chandelier he created under the tutelage of a Venetian glass master, and Molly Aubry's installation of wallpaper inspired by images from Vietnamese temples.

The exhibition and reception are free and open to the public.

“Supporting professional artists is essential to our work at the Cultural Council,” said Dave Lawrence, president and CEO. "The Artist Innovation Fellowship gives artists the freedom to explore new ideas and innovate in their craft—without the constraints of budgets or specific outcomes. We invite the public to join us as we celebrate these 10 talented individuals from our 2024 class, who are at the core of our vibrant community.”

The Artist Innovation Fellowship, which launched in 2020, is unique among professional development opportunities. It focuses on personal creative growth and the belief that an entire community will benefit through investments in creative individuals. Since then, three rounds of grants have been awarded to 21 fellows, thanks to the support of the Cornelia T. Bailey Foundation.

Selected by a regional panel of discipline-specific arts professionals, applicants were evaluated according to the quality of their artistic work, the strength of their proposed activities and its relation to their work, and the intended impact the funds would have on their work. Fellowships were awarded to those who demonstrated a sustained level of accomplishment, commitment, and artistic excellence.

To learn more about the 2024 Fellows, the program, and past recipients, visit palmbeachculture.com/aif.