Cultural Council for Palm Beach County Announces Seven Selected for 2027 Arts Administrators Fellowship
10-Month Professional Development Program Designed to Amplify New & Distinctive Voices in Arts & Culture
November 2, 2026 (PALM BEACH COUNTY, Fla.) – The Cultural Council for Palm Beach County has selected seven emerging and mid-career arts and culture professionals to participate in the 2027 Arts Administrators Fellowship, a 10-month professional development program designed to strengthen the next generation of cultural leaders across Palm Beach County.
The biennial fellowship seeks to amplify new and distinctive voices in the arts and cultural sector while building a leadership pipeline for arts administrators. Through professional development, networking, mentorship, and participation in a national arts conference, the seven fellows will gain the knowledge, connections, and resources to advance their careers and prepare for future leadership opportunities within the sector.
The 2027 Arts Administrators Fellowship class includes:
- Yamilett Abejon, Special Projects Coordinator, Kravis Center for the Performing Arts
- Isa Ayala, Education Administrator, Kravis Center for the Performing Arts
- María Alcalá Barceló, Arts Warehouse Coordinator, Arts Warehouse – Delray Beach CRA
- Trevon Fields, Development Operations Manager, Palm Beach Opera
- Cleigaie Narcisse, Museum Educator, Boca Raton Museum of Art
- Ali Narvaez, Marketing Manager, Jupiter Inlet Lighthouse & Museum
- Madison Schwarz, Development Officer for Institutional Giving, Norton Museum of Art
“The strength of Palm Beach County’s cultural sector depends on cultivating talented leaders who can carry our creative community forward,” said Dave Lawrence, President & CEO of the Cultural Council for Palm Beach County. “The Arts Administrators Fellowship provides emerging and mid-career professionals with meaningful opportunities to learn from established leaders, expand their networks, and develop the skills needed to shape the future of arts and culture in our community.”
The 2027 fellowship curriculum will feature the guide Run It Like a Business: Strategies for Arts Organizations to Increase Audiences, Remain Relevant, and Multiply Money–Without Losing the Art by Aubrey Bergauer and will combine professional development, networking, and leadership training with hands-on opportunities to explore the business of arts administration.
Throughout the 10-month program, fellows will participate in:
- Professional development and leadership training focused on career vision, business skills, and organizational leadership.
- Tours of cultural organizations throughout Palm Beach County, offering behind-the-scenes insights from executive directors and CEOs and opportunities to connect with managers across a range of roles.
- Facilitated workshops and individualized career counseling with a licensed professional.
- Group mentoring sessions with established arts leaders in Palm Beach County and beyond.
- Sponsored participation in the annual Americans for the Arts conference held in Atlanta.
- Networking and team-building opportunities with current and former fellows to foster collaboration and lasting professional relationships.
- One-on-one mentoring opportunities with the Cultural Council’s President & CEO and members of the Council’s Board of Directors to discuss individual career objectives and goals.
- Continued alumni opportunities to build connections and professional relationships after completion of the program.
The fellows will complete the program in 2027, culminating in a certificate ceremony, joining an expanding network of arts administrators and cultural leaders who are helping shape the future of Palm Beach County’s creative sector.
About the Cultural Council for Palm Beach County
The Cultural Council for Palm Beach County is the official support agency for arts and culture in The Palm Beaches, Florida’s Cultural Capital®. Headquartered in the historic Robert M. Montgomery, Jr. building in downtown Lake Worth Beach, the Council presents year-round exhibitions and performances featuring artists who live or work in Palm Beach County. The Cultural Council also provides services to cultural organizations and creative professionals, administers public and private grant programs, advocates for cultural funding, and promotes cultural tourism—including complimentary resources in its Jean S. and Frederic A. Sharf Visitor Information Center. For more information about the Council’s mission to nurture, promote, and support a healthy, diverse, and inclusive cultural sector, visit palmbeachculture.com.
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