Applications Open
The Ellies, Oolite Arts Awards
Learn more about the open calls and application process for 2027 awards:
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 five categories to support emerging, working, established, and professionally accomplished artists, filmmakers, art educators, and curators in South Florida.
The Ellies, Oolite Arts Awards consist of five categories: Creator Award, Art Teacher Travel Award, Curatorial Practice and Critical Writing Award, A Better World Award, and the Lifetime Achievement Award, Inspired by Michael Richards.
Open Calls
June 1 – July 31, 2026
See below for application links
Creator Award
The Creator Award provides $10,000 in unrestricted funding to thirty-five individual artists across South Florida, offering flexible support that reflects the realities of sustaining a creative practice.
Unlike project-based grants, these awards are not tied to a specific outcome. By remaining unrestricted, the awards remove common barriers and allow artists to allocate resources where they are most needed.
Open Call
June 1 – July 31, 2026
Art Teacher Travel Award
The Art Teacher Travel Award provides $5,000 each to six public and charter K–12 school art teachers to support travel that deepens their knowledge and strengthens their classroom practice.
Through this opportunity, teachers engage with new ideas, artists, and cultural contexts that can be meaningfully integrated into their curriculum. The award is intended to support both the educator and their wider school community, with a focus on translating these experiences into enriched learning for students and opportunities for broader community engagement.
Open Call
June 1 – July 31, 2026
Curatorial Practice and Critical Writing Award
Supporting curators and writers shaping critical discourse in contemporary art
The Curatorial Practice and Critical Writing Award provides $10,000 to two curators or art writers whose work advances critical discourse in contemporary visual art while supporting the visibility, understanding, and long-term development of artists and their practices.
Recognizing curatorial practice and art writing as essential to a thriving artistic ecosystem, the award supports individuals whose research, interpretation, exhibitions, essays, and public engagement help provide artists with greater visibility, contextualization, and sustained critical engagement. Through this initiative, Oolite Arts affirms the vital role that criticism, curatorial research, and writing play in helping artists connect with broader audiences, institutions, and public discourse.
Open Call
June 1 – July 31, 2026
Lifetime Achievement Award, Inspired by Michael Richards (By Nomination Only)
The Lifetime Achievement Award, Inspired by Michael Richards, is given to one 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 South Florida 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.
A cohort of artists, curators, museum directors, and art professionals from South Florida will nominate candidates, and a multi-member, independent national and international jury—composed of artists, curators, museum directors, and art professionals, including those working in film—selects the award recipient.
A Better World Award (By Nomination Only)
A Better World Award is given to one artist who makes South Florida a better, stronger, and more united community through their creative works. The recipient 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 a local artist whose work contributes meaningfully to social justice, environmental sustainability, mental health and healing, cultural preservation or innovation, community empowerment, inclusiveness, or global awareness or peacebuilding. This award will support the selected artist’s practice and creative growth with a $25,000 stipend.
A cohort of artists, curators, museum directors, art professionals, and social justice leaders from South Florida will nominate candidates, and a multi-member, independent national and international jury—composed of artists, curators, museum directors, and art professionals, including those working in film—selects the award recipient.
FAQs
General FAQ
What are The Ellies, Oolite Arts Awards?
The Ellies, Oolite Arts Awards are designed to celebrate and recognize artists and filmmakers’ careers in a variety of visual arts practices. These awards are offered in five categories to support emerging, working, established and professionally accomplished artists, filmmakers, art educators, and curators in South Florida.
What awards can I apply for?
Applications are open for the Creator Award, Curatorial Practice and Critical Writing Award, and Art Teacher Travel Award through July 31, 2027.
The A Better World Award and Lifetime Achievement Award, Inspired by Michael Richards are nomination-based and cannot be applied for directly.
How are recipients selected?
Oolite Arts staff will verify applications to ensure completion and eligibility.
A multi-member, independent national and international jury—composed of artists, curators, museum directors, and art professionals, including those working in film—selects the award recipient.
Lifetime Achievement Award, Inspired by Michael Richards and A Better World Award winners will be nominated by a committee of at least eight individuals representing a diverse group of respected leaders from South Florida’s arts, film, and cultural sectors. Each member of the Nomination Committee will propose three artists for the Lifetime Achievement Award, Inspired by Michael Richards and three artists for the A Better World Award.
Who can apply to The Ellies, Oolite Arts Awards?
Creator Award: Artists of any level living in Miami-Dade, Broward, Palm Beach, or Monroe counties. Please reference the eligibility section for a description of disciplines.
Art Teacher Travel Award: Certified, full-time K–12 art teachers living and working in public, charter, or magnet schools in Miami-Dade, Broward, Palm Beach, or Monroe counties.
Curatorial Practice and Critical Writing Award: Curators or art writers engaged in contemporary visual art and living in Miami-Dade, Broward, Palm Beach, or Monroe counties.
An individual is ineligible from applying for an Ellie, Oolite Arts Award in any category if they won an Ellie, Oolite Arts Award or participated in any Oolite Arts Residency in the past two years. Therefore, any Oolite Arts Residents or Ellies winners from 2025 or 2026 are ineligible to apply for a 2027 Ellie, Oolite Arts Award.
How many awards are there?
Open Call Awards (application-based):
- Creator Awards: 35 awards of $10,000
- Curatorial Practice and Critical Writing Awards: 2 awards of $10,000
- Art Teacher Travel Awards: 6 awards of $5,000
A Better World Award and Lifetime Achievement Award, Inspired by Michael Richards (nomination-based):
- A Better World Award: 1 award of $25,000
- Lifetime Achievement Award, Inspired by Michael Richards: 1 award of $75,000
What can be done with unrestricted funds?
Unrestricted funds may be used in any way that supports the recipient’s practice. These funds cannot be used for illegal activities or purposes.
Note: The Art Teacher Travel Award is not unrestricted and must be used for travel-related expenses.
When will The Ellies, Oolite Arts Awards recipients be announced?
Winter 2027
Will I receive feedback on my application?
Due to the number of applications we receive, we cannot give personalized feedback to each applicant.
Who should I contact with any questions I might have?
Please contact [email protected].
Contact
Email us with any questions.
Creator Award
What is the Creator Award?
The Creator Award provides $10,000 in unrestricted funding to individual artists. These awards are not tied to a specific project and are intended to support the full scope of an artist’s practice. They are open to artists working in a wide range of visual arts disciplines. Please refer to the eligibility section for discipline breakdown.
Who is eligible to apply for a Creator Award?
The Creator Award is open to any individual artists and filmmakers residing in South Florida. Applicants must be 21+, cannot be enrolled in an academic program for 2027 (college or university), and must have an active Florida Driver’s License or Florida ID Card. Creator Award applicants cannot have won an Ellie, Oolite Arts Award or participated in an Oolite Arts Residency in the past two years.
What are the main criteria for selection for a Creator Award?
Artists will be evaluated based on the strength of their work, assessed through work samples required in the application, and the trajectory of their career, which is assessed through CV and other materials required in the application.
Is the Creator Award program only for established artists?
No. The award is open to both emerging and established artists.
Can nonprofits or educational institutions apply for a Creator Award?
The Ellies, Oolite Arts Awards are only for individual working artists and filmmakers.
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.
Art Teacher Travel Award
What is the Art Teacher Travel Award?
The Art Teacher Travel Award provides $5,000 each to six public and charter K–12 school art teachers to support travel that deepens their knowledge and strengthens their classroom practice.
Who is eligible to apply for an Art Teacher Travel Award?
Full-time K–12 art teachers working in public, charter, or magnet schools in South Florida. Art Teacher Travel Award applicants cannot have won an Ellie, Oolite Arts Award or participated in an Oolite Arts Residency in the past two years.
Can I apply if I live and teach in different counties?
Yes, as long as both your residence and workplace are within Miami-Dade, Broward, Palm Beach, or Monroe counties.
Can private or part-time art teachers apply?
No. Only full-time art teachers at public, charter, or magnet schools are eligible.
Are there restrictions on travel?
Travel must directly support teaching goals and classroom impact.
Can I travel with students using this award?
No. The award supports teacher travel only.
Curatorial Practice and Creative Writing Award
What is the Curatorial Practice and Critical Writing Award?
The Curatorial Practice and Critical Writing Award provides $10,000 in funding to support curators and art writers engaged in contemporary visual art. The award recognizes and supports research, writing, and curatorial work that contributes to critical discourse and the development of exhibitions and ideas.
Who is eligible to apply for the Curatorial Practice and Critical Writing Award?
Applicants must be curators or art writers engaged in contemporary visual art and residing in South Florida. The award is open to practitioners at all career stages and is intended for individuals who demonstrate a sustained commitment to research, interpretation, and critical discourse. Applicants must be 21 years of age or older and must have an active Florida Driver’s License or Florida ID Card. Students who will be enrolled in an academic program in 2027 are not eligible to apply. Curatorial Practice and Critical Writing Award applicants cannot have won an Ellie, Oolite Arts Award or participated in an Oolite Arts Residency in the past two years.
Do I need to propose a specific project?
Applicants are not required to propose a specific project. The award is intended to support the overall development of a curatorial or writing practice.
What are the main criteria for selection for a Curatorial Practice and Critical Writing Award?
Applicants are evaluated based on the strength, originality, and clarity of their curatorial or writing practice, as demonstrated through work samples and statements. The jury considers depth of research, critical engagement with contemporary art discourse, and the applicant’s distinctive voice and professional trajectory. Particular attention is given to the potential of the work to shape future dialogue and contribute meaningfully to the field.
Is the Curatorial Practice and Critical Writing Award program only for established writers or curators?
The award is open to practitioners at all career stages and is intended for individuals who demonstrate a sustained commitment to research, interpretation, and critical discourse.
Can nonprofits or educational institutions apply for a Curatorial Practice and Critical Writing Award?
No. This award is for individuals only.
Can I apply as a collaborative group?
Only if the group is a curatorial entity and has a history of collaboration.
A Better World Award & Lifetime Achievement Award, Inspired by Michael Richards
What are the A Better World Award, and Lifetime Achievement Award, Inspired by Michael Richards?
These awards recognize artists whose work has made a significant impact:
- A Better World Award ($25,000): Honors artists whose work contributes to areas such as social justice, environmental sustainability, and community impact.
- Lifetime Achievement Award, Inspired by Michael Richards ($75,000): Recognizes artists with a sustained and influential body of work and long-term contributions to the field.
Who can apply?
These awards are nomination-based only.
How are recipients selected?
A group of respected arts leaders from South Florida nominates candidates. A separate jury of non-local jurors reviews the nominees and selects the final recipients.
What happens if I am nominated for the Better World Award or Lifetime Achievement Award, Inspired by Michael Richards?
If you are nominated, an Oolite Arts staff member will contact you directly and provide a link to a Submittable application to collect additional information about your practice. Once submitted, all nominee materials are reviewed by a jury of non-local arts professionals, who evaluate the candidates and participate in a final deliberation to select the award recipient.
Eligibility
Age
In order to be eligible for The Ellies, Oolite Arts Awards, an individual must 21+ and cannot be enrolled in an academic program for 2027 (college or university).
Discipline
In order to be eligible for a Creator Award, A Better World Award, or The Lifetime Achievement Award, Inspired by Michael Richards, applicants/nominees must practice in one or more of the following fields:
- Painting
- Sculpture & Installation
- Photography & Lens-Based Media
- Printmaking & Works on Paper
- Video, Film & Moving Image
- Digital & New Media
- Performance & Live Art
- Public Art & Social Practice
- Material Practices (Ceramics, Textiles & Mixed Materials)
- Time-Based Media (including Sound Art)
Location
In order to be eligible for The Ellies, Oolite Arts Awards, applicants/nominees must be current residents of South Florida (Miami-Dade, Broward, Palm Beach, or Monroe counties).
Proof of Residency
As proof of residency in South Florida, applicants must submit a scan of their Florida-issued ID or drivers license and a secondary proof of residency that matches the address of the ID, such as bank statements or utility bills.
Curatorial Practice and Critical Writing Award
In order to be eligible for the Curatorial Practice and Critical Writing Award, applicants must be curators or art writers engaged in contemporary visual art and based in South Florida (Miami-Dade, Broward, Palm Beach, or Monroe counties).
The award is open to practitioners at all career stages and is intended for individuals who demonstrate a sustained commitment to research, interpretation, and critical discourse.
Prior Winners
After winning an Ellie, Oolite Arts Award, (Creator Award, Art Teacher Travel Award, Curatorial Practice and Critical Writing Award and A Better World Award, and the Lifetime Achievement Award, Inspired by Michael Richards) the winner cannot reapply for any application based awards for the following 2 years, regardless of whether the award they are applying for is different from the award they won.
Previous application based awards winners are eligible to be nominated the following year for the A Better World Award and the Lifetime Achievement Award, Inspired by Michael Richards.
An individual must have at least an 8-year gap between winning the A Better World Award, and the Lifetime Achievement Award, Inspired by Michael Richards. An individual cannot win the A Better World Award or the Lifetime Achievement Award, Inspired by Michael Richards twice.
Resident Artists
After participating in an Oolite Arts residency (Studio Residency, Home + Away Residency, Live.In.Art Residency, or Cinematic Residency), the resident may not apply for an Ellie, Oolite Arts Award for the following 2 years.
- Current 2026 residents (Studio Residents, Home + Away Residents, Live.In.Art, and Cinematic Residents) cannot apply for an Ellie, Oolite Arts Award for 2027.
- 2025 residents (Studio Residents, Home + Away Residents, Live.In.Art, and Cinematic Residents) cannot apply for an Ellie, Oolite Arts Award for 2027.
- Even if a resident began their residency before 2025, they are ineligible if they were still in residence in 2025
- Ex. A 2024-2025 Studio Resident cannot apply for a 2027 Ellie
- Even if a resident began their residency before 2025, they are ineligible if they were still in residence in 2025
Dual Applications (The Ellies, Oolite Arts Awards and any Artist Residency)
All applications for The Ellies, Oolite Arts Awards and Artist Residencies (Studio Residency, Home + Away Residency, and Cinematic Residency) are open at the same time.
Applicants may apply for multiple opportunities; however, they may only receive one award or residency.
As part of the application process, applicants must indicate their order of preference in the event they are selected for more than one opportunity. This preference must be marked consistently across all submitted applications. If the order of preference is marked differently across applications, the applicant may be disqualified from consideration.
If an applicant is selected for multiple opportunities, Oolite Arts will honor the applicant’s stated preference and offer only that opportunity.
If an artist wins the Lifetime Achievement Award, Inspired by Michael Richards or the Lifetime Achievement Award, winning that award will disqualify them from winning any other Ellie, Oolite Arts Award or receiving any residency that year.
Conflict of Interest
Oolite Arts Board members, employees, and their family members are not eligible to apply or be nominated.
Advisory Board Members, consultants/individuals contracted by Oolite Arts, and former staff are eligible to apply and be nominated.
Oolite Arts believes that artists from a wide variety of backgrounds and identities should have access to artistic support. Oolite Arts as an organization does not discriminate on the basis of race, ethnicity, sex, religion, sexual orientation, gender identity, age, or disability.
Contact
Email us with any questions.
