Oolite Arts Awards
General Info
Miami’s premier visual arts awards have been redesigned to celebrate the individual creativity of South Florida Artists.
The Ellies, Oolite Arts Awards are designed to celebrate and recognize artists’ careers in a variety of visual arts practices. These awards are offered in four categories to support South Florida working and emerging artists, art educators, established and professionally accomplished artists in Miami-Dade, Broward, Palm Beach, and Monroe counties.
The Ellies, Oolite Arts Awards consist of four categories: Creator Awards, Teacher Travel Awards, A Better World Award, and the Lifetime Achievement Award.
- Creator Awards: These awards will support individual artists with funds of $10,000 to utilize however they want. Rather than being tied to a specific project, Creator Awards are unrestricted grants to support South Florida’s remarkable artists in whatever way they best choose to support their artistic practice.
- Teacher Travel Awards: Teacher Travel Awards provide K-12 art teachers with $5,000 each in funds for travel that will enrich their classroom curriculum. By encouraging teachers to explore and then share their art experiences with their students, these awards will help create the audiences that our museums and arts organizations need to thrive.
- A Better World Award: A Better World Award winner makes South Florida a better, stronger, more united community through their creative works. Recipients of this award will exemplify the power of art to not only reflect the world, but to transform it. The Oolite Arts A Better World Award recognizes local artists whose work contributes meaningfully to:
- Social justice
- Environmental sustainability
- Mental health and healing
- Cultural preservation or innovation
- Community empowerment
- Inclusiveness
- Global awareness or peacebuilding
- Lifetime Achievement Award, Inspired by Michael Richards: The Oolite Arts Lifetime Achievement Award, Inspired by Michael Richards recognizes and rewards artists who have created a body of original work of art over a sustained period of time and have received critical and community acclaim. Lifetime Achievement winners have expanded their careers into the global community and brought the global community to South Florida.
Selection Process
The Oolite Arts staff will review applications to ensure completion and eligibility. The winners will be nominated by a committee of at least four individuals representing a diverse group of respected leaders from South Florida’s arts and cultural sectors. Each member of the Nomination Committee will propose two artists for the Lifetime Achievement Award, Inspired by Michael Richards and two artists for Oolite’s A Better World Award. A second jury of at least four non-local or out-of-state jurors will then select the final awardee from among the nominees.
For the Creator and Teacher Travel Awards, the Oolite Arts staff will review applications to ensure completion and eligibility. Submissions are reviewed by a multi-member jury of curators and arts professionals based outside of Miami. The jury will evaluate each candidate and will select the finalists.
Eligibility and Requirements
Only the Creator and Teacher Travel Awards are eligible for application. Oolite’s A Better World Award and Lifetime Achievement Award are by nomination only.
For the Creator Award, artists of any level of experience living in South Florida can apply. For the Teacher Travel Award, any certified art teacher who is currently living and working full-time at a South Florida public, magnet, or charter school can apply.
What are the Creator Awards?
These awards will support individual artists with funds of $10,000 to utilize however they see fit to support their practice. Rather than being tied to a specific project, Creator Awards are unrestricted awards designed to celebrate and recognize artists’ careers in a variety of visual arts practices. These awards are open to all artists who reside in South Florida.
Who is eligible to apply for a Creator Award?
The Creator Awards are open to any individual artist living and working in South Florida. Applicants must be 18 years of age or older and must be a US citizen or a lawful permanent resident.
What are the main criteria for selection for a Creator Award?
Artists will be evaluated based on the strength of their work and the trajectory of their career.
Is the Creator Award program only for established artists?
Not at all. The award is open to any working artist, whether they are an emerging artist or have been working in the field for a long time. Eligibility does require that the artist be 18 years of age or older and a U.S. citizen or a lawful permanent resident. Students enrolled in an academic program may not apply.
Is the Creator Award only for visual artists?
Yes. However, we will be using a wide definition of visual arts including 2D (drawing, painting), 3D (ceramic, fiber, sculpture), Mixed Media, Film, Photography, Installation Art, and Digital Art.
How much is a Creator Award?
Each Creator Award is $10,000.
What can be done with the funds from the Creator Award?
These are unrestricted funds, so they may be used however the winner sees fit to support their practice.
Who decides the Creator Award winners?
A panel of teachers and arts leaders will review the submitted applications to decide the Creator Award winners.
Can nonprofits or educational institutions apply for a Creator Award?
The Oolite Arts Awards are for working artists. Eligible applicants are working visual artists who live in South Florida.
Can I apply as a collaborative group/artistic duo?
You can apply as part of a duo, but the award and its funds can only be given to a single person. The duo must also have a history of collaboration.
When will the Creator Award recipients be announced?
Winter 2026.
What are the Teacher Travel Awards?
Teacher Travel Awards provide K-12 art teachers with $5,000 each in funds for travel that will enrich their classroom curriculum. By encouraging teachers to explore and then share their art experiences with their students, these awards will help create the audiences that our museums and arts organizations need to thrive. The opportunity is open to all South Florida public, charter, and magnet school full-time art teachers.
When will Teacher Travel Awards applications be accepted?
Applications will be accepted through Sept. 17, 2025. (11:59 PM EST.)
I teach at a school in one of the four South Florida counties (Miami-Dade, Broward, Palm Beach, and Monroe), but I live outside of these counties. Or vice versa: I live in one of the four South Florida counties but teach outside them. Can I still apply?
Unfortunately, we can only accept applications from teachers living AND teaching within the four South Florida counties.
I teach at a school in one of the four South Florida counties (Miami-Dade, Broward, Palm Beach, and Monroe) and I live in one of the four South Florida counties as well. However, these two counties are different (You live in Broward but teach in Miami-Dade). Can I still apply?
As long as you live and teach within the four South Florida counties, it is fine if your place of work and place of residence are in different counties. However, both counties MUST be one of the listed four South Florida counties.
I teach at a private school. Can I still apply?
Unfortunately, we only accept applications from teachers at public, charter, and magnet schools in South Florida.
I am a part-time/retired teacher. Can I still apply?
Unfortunately, we can only accept applications for active full-time teachers.
Are there any limits on where a teacher can travel using a Teacher Travel Award?
No, as long as the teacher states in the application how the trip will enhance their teaching of visual arts and the students’ classroom experience.
Who will decide who receives a Teacher Travel Award?
A jury of teachers and art leaders will read and choose from among the submitted applications.
Can I apply to take a group of students on a trip using the funds from a Teacher Travel Award?
This funding is limited to art teachers traveling without students.
I have two destinations I’d like to visit. Should I submit both?
You may, but please be sure to fill out two separate applications.
What is the Oolite Arts Lifetime Achievement Award?
The Oolite Arts Lifetime Achievement Award, Inspired by Michael Richards, recognizes and rewards South Florida artists who have created a body of original works of art over a sustained period of time and have received critical and community acclaim. Lifetime Achievement Award winners have expanded their careers into the global community and brought the global community to South Florida.
Who is Michael Richards?
Michael Richards was an emerging artist gaining recognition for his work when he was killed working in his studio in the World Trade Center during the 9/11 attacks. From 1997 to 2000 Richards was an artist in residence at Oolite Arts. Read more about Richards.
Who can apply?
The Oolite Arts Lifetime Achievement Award is not open to applications. The recipient will be nominated and selected by a two-tiered jury of local and non-local art leaders.
How much is this award?
The winner will receive $75,000.
Why was this award renamed?
While Oolite Arts continues to honor Michael Richards, we hope to broaden the attention we can bring to honored artists through the Lifetime Achievement Award.
What is the Oolite Arts A Better World Award?
The Oolite Arts A Better World Award recognizes and rewards South Florida artists whose work contributes meaningfully to:
- Social justice
- Environmental sustainability
- Mental health and healing
- Cultural preservation or innovation
- Community empowerment
- Inclusiveness
- Global awareness or peacebuilding
A Better World Award winner makes South Florida a better, stronger, more united community through their creative work. Recipients of this award will exemplify the power of art to not only reflect the world but to transform it.
Who can apply?
The Oolite Arts A Better World Award is not open to applications. The recipient will be nominated and selected by a two-tiered jury of local and non-local art leaders.
How much is this award?
The winner will receive $25,000.
Why was this award renamed?
Although Oolite Arts remains committed to promoting social justice, the Social Justice Award has been renamed A Better World Award to be more inclusive of all artists who make the world a better place through their practice.
When will applications be accepted?
Applications will be accepted through Sept. 17, 2025. (11:59 PM EST.)
Who should I contact with any questions I might have?
Please contact [email protected] or watch the recorded online informational session for more information.
Session Video
