Who better than an artist and businesswoman to serve as both board member and generous supporter for the Cultural Council? Suzanne Niedland is a champion for an incredible amount of causes including arts education, health care and the intersection/collaboration between the two.

“My professional background is built upon a strong foundation my parents provided of love for arts and culture,” says Niedland. In 2015, this culmination of dedications resulted in the Margaret W. Niedland Breast Center at Jupiter Medical Center, named in honor of Suzanne’s late mother, who lost her battle with breast cancer.

 

“With my mother’s aesthetics in mind,” explains Niedland, “I was involved in the planning and design of the Center ‘from A-Z,’ including hand-selecting all of the artwork. Collaboration is important to me, and I engaged the Cultural Council, asking the very talented [Manager of Artist Services] Nichole Hickey to help me curate the art placement. Bringing together two aspects of my life, which I am so passionate about—healthcare and art—to honor my mother, was very meaningful to me.”

 

Niedland has long served as a supporter of the arts in Palm Beach County, saying that “I believe that healthy vibrant communities are built upon strong foundations of arts and culture…watching Palm Beach County evolve over the 28 years I have lived here, into Florida’s cultural hub, has been exciting. In order to build a community that will stand the test of time, culture must be one of the primary pillars we invest in.”

 

It was through Niedland’s leadership as a passionate board member that the Council was introduced to the DeVos Institute of Arts Management at the University of Maryland, and due in part to a generous donation from Niedland, that the Council was able to work with DeVos on the Palm Beach County Arts Accelerator program.

 

“I view the Arts Accelerator program as an opportunity for our leading cultural organizations to benefit from exceptional management consulting from one of the most well-respected arts consulting firms in the world…I expect the Arts Accelerator program to produce excellent strategic planning that our institutions can use with their staff, their boards, and their supporters to expand their institution’s cultural impact.”

 

Of course, not everything is board meetings and budgets—Suzanne practices what she preaches in her personal life, too. “In my free time, I enjoy ballroom dance! It continues to fuel my appreciation for the arts and has taken me across the country in competitions, connecting me to many other dance enthusiasts.”

 

Dance on, Suzanne!