About the Council

 

The Cultural Council is Palm Beach County’s official arts agency and serves non-profit cultural organizations and professional artists throughout the county. The Cultural Council’s responsibilities include marketing the county’s cultural experiences to visitors and residents, administering grants to organizations and artists, expanding art and cultural education opportunities, advocating for funding and arts-friendly policies and developing audiences and donors through membership programs.

 

The Cultural Council was founded by visionary community leader Alexander W. Dreyfoos in 1978. A non-profit organization, the Council administers a portion of local tourist development funds under contract with the county government. Among its many initiatives, the Council regularly assists organizations of all sizes and professional artists through grant programs, technical support and capacity-building proposals.

As part of the Palm Beach County Tourist Development Council (TDC), the Cultural Council works with its TDC sister agencies—the Convention and Visitor’s Bureau, Sports Commission and the Film and Television Commission—to promote Palm Beach County as a vibrant tourism destination.

 

The Council also works in conjunction with regional and national organizations such as the Florida Cultural Alliance, South Florida Cultural Consortium and Americans for the Arts in order to disseminate the latest cultural industry activity from Palm Beach County and across the country.


The Council is set to embark on the most historic phase of its award-winning existence. The Montgomery Family donated the Robert M. Montgomery Jr. Building in Downtown Lake Worth to the Council in 2010 so it could serve as new headquarters. The Lake Worth Community Redevelopment Agency granted the Council $700,000 as part of its Cultural Renaissance Program to help renovate the historic 1940 art deco building, which will include a visitor center, exhibit/performance space, gift shop and artists’ workspace.


The Council plans to move into its new headquarters in the summer of 2011 and have a new five-year strategic plan in place. With a street-level home in the center of Downtown Lake Worth and an innovative strategic plan, the Council will be poised to help and engage the cultural community more effectively than ever before!

Read our annual report.

 

 

 

 

The Palm Beach County Cultural Council is an independent nonprofit membership organization with 501(c)(3) federal tax-exempt status, Florida Registration number SC01489. All contributions are deductible to the full extent of the law.