Artist Dina Baker wanted to make life easier for other women artists that were struggling to make ends meet. After spending her formative years honing her craft at The Barnes Foundation and The Art Students League of New York, Baker encountered more than enough accomplished female artists having a hard time competing with their male counterparts. As she told the Palm Beach Daily News, “I thought it was terribly unfair. These were serious, dedicated artists.”

Now in her 90s, Baker has made a successful career out of her work in painting, specifically in abstract expressionism. She lives and works from her home studio in Boca Raton, and in the mid-2000s, started attending Cultural Council exhibitions and events including Culture & Cocktails. Inspired by the work of the Cultural Council and its mission to support local artists, Baker worked with the Council’s development and grants team to create the Dina Baker Fund for Mature Female Artists. The fund, which started in 2015, awards $10,000 each year to one qualified professional women artist over the age of 60 and guarantees them a solo exhibition in the Cultural Council gallery.

Interested in starting a scholarship or grant program with the Cultural Council? Contact our director of development, Mary Lewis, at 561-472-3340 or mlewis@palmbeachculture.com.

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