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.
Lifetime Achievement Award
Inspired by Michael Richards, the Lifetime Achievement Award recognizes and rewards artists who have created a body of original work 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 it to South Florida.
The Lifetime Achievement Award is a nomination-based award, given to an artist who has created a recognized body of original works of art over a sustained period of time and who, through their practice, is achieving the highest levels of professional distinction in the visual arts. This artist is someone who has had an impact on Miami-Dade County and has given back to the community throughout their career in a variety of ways. The award will support the selected artist’s practice and creative growth through a stipend of $75,000 over a two-year period.
Michael Richards (1963 – 2001), to whom this award pays tribute, was an incisive, provocative, and poetic artist whose body of work primarily addresses racial inequity and social injustice. Richards, an Oolite Arts alum, passed away tragically in his art studio in the World Trade Center during the terrorist attacks on Sept. 11, 2001. A jury of national and local curators and experts will both nominate candidates and select the award winner.
About Michael Richards
Learn about the Oolite Arts alumnus whom this award pays tribute to.
A Better World Award
A Better World Award winner makes South Florida a better, stronger, and 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, and global awareness or peacebuilding. This award will support the selected artist’s practice and creative growth with a $25,000 stipend. A jury of artists and social justice leaders will nominate candidates and select the award winner.
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.
Miami’s Visual Arts Awards
The Ellies
Celebrating the artists who make Miami
We’re delighted to name these awards in honor of our founder, Ellie Schneiderman, a visionary who recognized the power of supporting artists in their work. As Ellie often said, Oolite Arts is here to “help artists help themselves.”
The Ellies
Meet the Ellies winners
FAQs
Creator Awards
What are the Creator Awards?
These awards will support individual artists with grants of $5,000 to $25,000 to realize a significant visual arts project. These awards are open to all artists who reside in Miami-Dade County.
What are The Ellie’s Teacher Travel Grants?
The Ellie’s Teacher Travel Grants will provide full-time art teachers with up to $5,000 for travel that will ultimately enrich their classroom curriculum. By encouraging teachers to explore and then return to share art experiences with their students, these grants will help to create the audiences that our museums and arts organizations need to thrive.
When will The Ellies applications be accepted?
Applications will be accepted through November 4th, 2024 at 11:59 p.m.
Who is eligible to apply for a Creator Award?
Since The Ellies are about growing Miami’s visual arts community, Creator Awards are open to any individual artist living and working in Miami-Dade County. If applicants already have an incomplete Creators award from previous years, they are ineligible to apply for a new project. Applicants must be 18 years of age or older, and must be a US citizen or a lawful permanent resident.
The Teacher Travel Grants are open to full-time art teachers in any Miami-Dade County public or private school. If applicants already have a Teacher Travel grant that travel has not been completed, they are ineligible to apply for a new Teacher Travel grant.
What are you looking for in Creator Award projects?
We want to help individual artists realize their ambitious ideas and advance their careers. There are no limits to the scope of the projects. Winning projects could be an exhibition at a gallery, a public art piece, a museum exhibition, or another format. Funds can go toward ongoing projects, or one not yet launched. We are looking for bold ideas that speak to our community and our times.
What are the main criteria for selection for a Creator Award?
Projects will be evaluated based on the artist’s idea and his/her prior experience, and whether the artist has the ability to bring the project to fruition.
Where, physically, can the Creator Award project take place?
A project can take place in a public or private space, or online. It’s up to the applicant.
Is the Creator Award program only for established artists?
Not at all. The award is open to any working artist, whether they are a student, an emerging artist or have been working in the field for a long time. Eligibility does require that the artist is 18 years of age or older and a U.S. citizen or a lawful permanent resident.
Is the Creator Award only for visual arts projects?
Yes, however, we will be using a wide definition of the visual arts. In addition, the visual arts must be a main component of the project and it has to be led by a working visual artist who lives in Miami-Dade.
How much is a Creator Award?
The awards range from $5,000 to $25,000.
Who decides the Creator Award winners?
A jury of local and national arts leaders will read and choose from among the submitted applications.
Can nonprofits or educational institutions apply for a Creator Award?
The Ellies are for working artists. Eligible applicants are working visual artists who live in Miami-Dade. We hope nonprofits and educational institutions in the arts field will be partners in some of the applications.
Can curators apply for a Creator Award?
A curator can be a part of an application; however, a visual artist must be the person to submit the idea.
How many Creator Award applications should I submit?
As many as you like, though we’d suggest no more than three.
Contact
Email us with any questions.
Teacher Travel Grants
Are there any limits on where a teacher can travel using a Teacher Travel Grant?
No, as long as the teacher states in the application how the trip will enhance his or her teaching of the visual arts and the students’ classroom experience.
Who will decide who receives a Teacher Travel Grant?
A jury of local arts leaders and arts teachers will read and choose from among the submitted applications.
Can I apply to take a group of students on a trip using a Teacher Travel Grant?
While a worthwhile endeavor, 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 if you like. Please be sure to fill out two separate applications.
Whom should I contact with any questions I might have?
Please contact [email protected] or attend an informational session.
Contact
Email us with any questions.
[email protected]
The Michael Richards Award
What is the Michael Richards Award?
The Michael Richards Award is a nomination based award, given to an artist who has created a recognized body of original works of art over a sustained period of time and who, through their practice, is achieving the highest levels of professional distinction in visual arts. This artist is someone who has had an impact on Miami-Dade County and has given back to the community throughout their career in a variety of ways. The award will support the selected artist’s practice and creative growth through a stipend of $75,000 over a two-year period.
Who can apply?
The Michael Richards Award is not open to applications. The recipient will be nominated and selected by a jury of national and local curators and arts experts.
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.
How much is this award?
The recipient will receive $75,000 payable over two years, no strings attached. In addition, Oolite Arts will commission a piece from the artist for display at The Bass.
What criteria is Oolite Arts using to select the recipient?
The recipient must be an eminent artist with a track record of distinguished artistic achievement, the desire to continue growing, and the ambition to advance his or her career. We hope the recipient will use the award to further his or her artistic practice, and have a continued impact on the visual arts and on Miami-Dade County in general.
Whom should I contact with any questions I might have?
Please contact [email protected].
