Earlier this year, the Cultural Council for Palm Beach County raised more than $45,000 through its crowd-sourced Palm Beach County Artist Relief Fund to help local creative professionals who lost critical income due to COVID-19.

Launched in March with a goal of $10,000, the fundraiser allowed the Council to directly award small grants of $250 to individual creative professionals. This included visual artists, actors, musicians, dancers and others living in Palm Beach County.

Thanks to community members and the support of the Great Charity Challenge and The John S. and James L. Knight Foundation Fund of the Community Foundation for Palm Beach and Martin Counties, the Council was able to award grants to 117 individuals between April and November.

“Palm Beach County is home to an extraordinary cultural community composed of top-notch organizations and exceptional creative professionals, and we value their enormous contributions,” said Dave Lawrence, the Council’s president & CEO. “As COVID-19 continues to affect the nation, the financial impact on this community has been profound. This prompted the Council to launch the Artist Relief Fund. Now more than ever, support for creative professionals is essential to a stronger and more vibrant community.”

“Receiving this grant is really impactful for me,” said Shani Simpson, a multidisciplinary artist based in Lake Worth. “Over the years I’ve applied for other grants, and this is the very first grant I’ve received. I want to thank the Cultural Council for seeing [an issue] that was global and for taking time to act local.” 

The Artist Relief Fund is now closed. Please continue to check our website for information on other potential funding opportunities.

Applications were reviewed and approved by Cultural Council board and staff members, with a goal to fund as many creative professionals as possible. As of November 20, 2020, the Council has awarded grants to the following individuals:

  • Yanlis Abreu-Gonzalez, dancer
  • Isabella Addison Hernandez, visual artist
  • Sheri Alimonda, visual artist
  • Galina Alvarez, dancer
  • Jhonattan F. Arango, visual artist
  • Nery Arevalo, musician
  • Nune Asatryan, visual artist
  • Molly Aubry, visual artist
  • Michael Bacon, photographer
  • Rolando Barrero, installation
  • Tiffany Beasi, visual artist
  • Michael Begleiter, musician
  • Rajesh Bhandari, musician
  • Roumen Boudev, visual artist
  • Lorraine Bowe, jewelry artist
  • Caron Bowman, visual artist
  • Steve Brouse, visual artist/teacher
  • Anthony Burks Sr., visual artist
  • Joseph Calderaio, musician
  • Lauren Carey, dancer
  • Jean Carlo Ramirez, videographer
  • Eli Cecil, visual artist
  • Rochelle Irons Clark, visual artist
  • Gustavo Correa, musician
  • LizKat Custom, visual artist
  • Amanda Davis, dancer
  • Frank Derrick, musician 
  • Hector Diaz, visual artist
  • Elizabeth Dimon, actor
  • Gregory Dirr, visual artist
  • Drew Dockerill, musician
  • Dana Donaty, visual artist
  • Dariel B Donovan II, visual artist
  • Emmanuella Dorcely, choregrapher/dancer
  • Michelle Drummond, visual artist
  • Andrea Ellison, actor 
  • Jason Fleurant, visual artist
  • Mark W. Forman, visual artist
  • Adonis Frangiskakis, musician
  • Niki Fridh, actor
  • Bari L. Friendlander, visual artist
  • Carlos Galindez, dancer
  • Nicole Galluccio, visual artist
  • Harley Galeano, musician
  • Patti Gardner, actor
  • Ron Garret, visual artist
  • Jerry Ginsberg, visual artist/teacher
  • Carla Golembe, visual artist
  • Mik Groninger, musician
  • Ray Gross, sculptor
  • Tracy Guiteau, visual artist/fashion designer
  • Oliver Hanfmann, musician
  • Jason Hanley, musician
  • Rodney Hansen, musician
  • Emma Harris, actor
  • Ben Heller, visual artist
  • Markis Hernandez, musician
  • Subbora Jackson, visual artist
  • Richard F. Johnson, visual artist
  • Aysen Sibel Kocabasi, visual artist
  • Attila Janos Konnyu, visual artist
  • Sharon Koskoff, visual artist/teacher
  • Gabriele Kraus, visual artist
  • Paul Lampert, actor
  • Miles Laventhall, visual artist/teacher
  • Jesse Lee, visual artist
  • Barbara Lentz, visual artist
  • Peggie “Batia” Lowenberg, visual artist
  • Anita Lovitt, visual artist
  • Joshua Lubben, musician
  • Deborah Marquez, dancer
  • Melissa Mastrangelo, visual artist
  • Sammi McLean, visual artist
  • James McCreavy, musician
  • Craig McInnis, visual artist
  • Kasha McKee, visual artist
  • Natalie Donahue McMahon, actor
  • Michel McNabb, jewelry artist
  • Katrina Miller, visual artist/poet
  • Michelle A. M. Miller, visual artist
  • Lindsey Mills, musician
  • Stojo Miserlioski, musician
  • Suzanne Mulholland Barton,
  • Donna Murray, choreographer
  • Anna Nunes, choreographer
  • Kevin Oliveira, musician
  • Margaret Jahn, visual artist
  • Kianga Jinaki Parker, visual artist
  • Jose Perez, musician
  • Sean Radford, musician
  • Agata Ren, visual artist
  • Kaitlin Richardson, musician
  • Hegina Rodrigues, visual artist/teacher
  • Arturo Romay, musician
  • Lennis Sabatino, musician
  • Ashlee Sanford, visual artist
  • Jessica dos Santos, dancer
  • Maxine Schreiber, visual artist
  • Pamela Shapiro, visual artist
  • Clare Shore, musician
  • Anthony Silver, musician
  • Deb Silver, musician
  • James Simmons, musician
  • Shani Simpson, visual artist
  • Brett Staska, musician
  • Martha Streinesberger, visual artist 
  • Trina Slade-Burks, visual artist
  • Easton Summas, musician
  • Jeff Taylor, musician
  • Mark Telesca, musician
  • Michael Tirsch, musician
  • Shakeera Thomas, visual artist
  • Alexis Thompson, musician
  • Haydee Ullfig, visual artist/teacher
  • Sofia Valiente, visual artist
  • David Welch, musician
  • Shanna L. Woods, dancer