Distinguished Woman Artist’s Prize
Ms. Suzi K. Edwards established an annual $10,000 unrestricted prize through the Henry L. Kimelman Foundation at the Cultural Council for Palm Beach County to champion the careers of established women artists who have a proven track record of high-quality artistic production and are at an inflection point in their careers.
The goal of the Distinguished Woman Artist’s Prize is to enable the recipient to further her artistic development and achievement.
Selection Process
The Cultural Council requests nominations from arts professionals throughout Palm Beach County. No applications are accepted for this prize.
Nominated artists are evaluated based on the quality of their artistic production, commitment to their careers and recognition of recent opportunities they have capitalized upon. A regional and national committee of arts professionals considers the highest-scoring nominees and selects the final recipient, giving priority to artistic ability, passion and dedication to craft.
2025 Prize Recipient
Sharon Lee Hart
Sharon Lee Hart is a South Florida-based artist exploring ecology, ephemerality and time through experimental and cameraless photography. She also creates collages, mixed-media works and artist books. Hart maintains an active studio practice and serves as an Associate Professor of Art at Florida Atlantic University.
With an environmental focus, she has served as an artist-in-residence at Joshua Tree National Park, The Oak Spring Garden Foundation and The Studios of Key West. Hart received the 2023 SECAC Artist’s Fellowship Award. Her work is represented in permanent collections including the King County Public Art Collection and The Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art and has appeared in solo and group exhibitions in the United States and internationally.
2025 National Panel
Aldeide Delgado
Art historian and curator, Founder & Director, WOPHA Foundation
Véronique Chagnon-Burke
Art historian and curator, Co-founder, Women Art Dealers Digital Archives
Timothy Hawkinson
Owner, Timothy Hawkinson Gallery, Los Angeles
Matthew Wheldon Showman
Partner and Gallery Director, Ferrara Showman Gallery, New Orleans
Shannon Linker
Director of Adult Programs, Dallas Museum of Art
Juana Williams
Independent Curator, Detroit
Kristin Hjellegjerde
Owner, Kristin Hjellegjerde Gallery, West Palm Beach, London and Berlin
Kerry Vitiello
Gallery Director, Kristin Hjellegjerde Gallery, West Palm Beach
Allison Raddock
Independent Art Advisor; Gallery Director, Gavlak Gallery, West Palm Beach
Carol Prusa
Visual artist, North Carolina