Since its launch in 2020, the Artist Innovation Fellowship has supported outstanding Palm Beach County-based professional artists whose work reflects innovation, artistic excellence, and a commitment to advancing their fields.
Selected through a competitive review process by regional arts professionals, fellows receive unrestricted support to pursue research, experimentation, and new creative directions in their work. Together, these artists represent a diverse range of disciplines and approaches that continue to shape the cultural landscape of Palm Beach County.
Looking for the 2026 Artist Innovation Fellows? Visit this page.
2024 Artist Innovation Fellows
Suzanne Ankrum
Theater Artist
Suzanne Ankrum-Harris developed a devised theatre process through workshops, collaborative sessions and filmed documentation centered on the play “Hurricane Diane.” The project resulted in new performance material, a refined creative methodology and video assets to support future production.
Molly Aubry
Visual Artist
Molly Aubry created a new body of work informed by research and travel in Vietnam and Cambodia, drawing on caves, spiritual sites and traditional craft practices. The project resulted in a series of works integrating digital processes with hand-driven techniques, shaped by material exploration and cultural study.
Victoria Cardona
Musician
Victoria Cardona created a new body of work through expanded studio practice and material exploration supported by the fellowship. The project resulted in a refined series of works that clarified her creative direction and approach.
Eli Cecil
Glass Artist
Eli Cecil studied glassmaking techniques in Europe through workshops, studio visits and an international conference with master artisans. The project resulted in new technical skills, tools and a body of work informed by traditional glass processes.
Noah Garbarino
Musician
Noah Garbarino studied traditional Japanese taiko drumming and drum construction through travel, workshops and hands-on training with master practitioners. The project resulted in new instruments, expanded technical knowledge and the development of a large-scale drum for exhibition.
Tracy Guiteau
Visual Artist
Tracy Guiteau created a multidisciplinary installation combining painting, ceramics and fashion to explore mental health and resilience. Her work incorporated layered symbolism and hidden affirmations, encouraging reflection and connection.
Jeanne Jaffe
Visual Artist
Jeanne Jaffe developed a multimedia storytelling project exploring Florida’s colonial history and the Seminole Wars through research, travel and collaboration with Indigenous communities. The project resulted in a series of narrative works using banners, marionettes and stop-motion animation to interpret historical events and perspectives.
Janis McDavid
Musician
Janis McDavid produced an original series of songs and began developing a live theatrical experience centered on social-emotional learning themes inspired by Ethiopian folktales. The project resulted in an eight-song demo, collaborative partnerships and a scalable performance concept for young audiences.
Jose R. Mendez
Visual Artist
Jose R. Mendez researched and designed large-scale kites inspired by Maya traditions, traveling to Guatemala to study historic sites and collaborate with master kite makers. The project resulted in multiple kites exhibited in South Florida festivals, expanding cultural visibility and community engagement around the tradition.
Gillian Kennedy Wright
Visual Artist
Gillian Kennedy Wright created a series of textile-based works informed by research at museums and cultural sites across the United States and Canada. The project resulted in new pieces incorporating global influences and cultural symbolism, including adinkra patterns and repurposed materials.
2022 Artist Innovation Fellows
Elizabeth Dimon
Actor
Elizabeth Dimon created Meanwhile, a recorded multimedia work combining music from the Great American Songbook with video and historical imagery. Developed in collaboration with musicians and a videographer, the project resulted in a completed video piece structured across multiple decades.
Kianga Jinaki
Visual Artist
Kianga Jinaki expanded her studio practice through new equipment, materials and mentorship with established artists, resulting in a series of textile and mixed-media works. The project strengthened her approach to storytelling while deepening her focus on personal narrative, cultural expression and artistic confidence.
Henriett Michel
Visual Artist
Henriett Michel developed a new body of mixed-media work combining resin, clay and cast forms, incorporating live models and mold-making techniques. The project expanded her practice into both two- and three-dimensional work while introducing new materials and processes that shaped a series centered on the female form and self-expression.
Yvette Norwood-Tiger
Musician
Yvette Norwood-Tiger produced and recorded the jazz album Autumn Sun, collaborating with musicians, a sound engineer and a recording studio to complete and distribute the work. The project applied the vocalese tradition to classic bebop compositions, resulting in original lyrics inspired by the histories and styles of iconic jazz artists.
Shanique Scott
Choreographer
Shanique Scott created Breathe, a series of choreographic works developed through collaboration with dancers and an apprentice artist. The project expanded into multiple pieces, including I’m Tired, and emphasized process-driven creation, resulting in a body of work shaped by personal experience and movement exploration.
Carin Wagner
Visual Artist
Carin Wagner produced and exhibited a series of “ghost forest” works documenting endangered trees across the United States. The project resulted in large-scale printed silk banners and an expanded body of work highlighting environmental impact and conservation.
2020 Artist Innovation Fellows
Anthony Burks, Sr.
Visual Artist
Anthony Burks expanded an ongoing portrait series while working in a dedicated studio space at Zero Empty Spaces. The project also resulted in his first coffee table book featuring the series, advancing both the body of work and its presentation.
Isabel Gouveia
Visual Artist
Isabel Gouveia created a series of digital prints and a large-scale installation inspired by Italo Calvino’s Invisible Cities. The work combined pixelated imagery and natural forms to explore the impact of technology on the environment, supported by new printing techniques and materials developed during the fellowship.
Amy Gross
Visual Artist
Amy Gross developed a stereoscopic installation combining sculpture, photography and custom-built viewing systems. The work used layered imagery of natural elements to create immersive environments that blended real and imagined worlds through depth and perception.
Joshua Lubben
Musician
Joshua Lubben recorded and produced two full-length albums of original music, Prodigal Songs and Snow, and released the music video Dance for Love, filmed in Jupiter, Florida. The project expanded his studio practice during the pandemic and resulted in new work released to the public, including a Veterans Day debut tied to historical narrative
Donna Goffredo Murray
Choreographer
Donna Goffredo Murray created Landscapes, a three-part contemporary dance work developed in collaboration with Dimensions Dance Theatre of Miami. The project included rehearsals, costume and production design, and a live performance, with the work later selected for presentation on the company’s main stage.