Oolite Arts was recently spotlighted on WSFL TV39’s Inside South Florida, with President and CEO John Abodeely and artist T. Eliott Mansa joining the show to talk about our 40th anniversary and the continued impact of the Ellies, Miami’s visual arts awards.
The segment highlighted a record-setting year: $600,000 was awarded through the 2025 Ellies, including an additional $100,000 in honor of our 40th. With this year’s awards, we’ve now granted more than $3.6 million to local artists and educators since launching the program in 2018.
During the interview, Abodeely summed up our mission in simple terms: “We help artists make art.” Since our founding by Ellie Schneiderman in 1984, Oolite Arts has grown into one of South Florida’s leading cultural institutions, providing year-round support through studio space, exhibitions, public programs, and filmmaking resources.
The segment also featured 2025 Social Justice Award winner T. Eliott Mansa, whose memorial-based sculptures honor lives lost to state violence.
Oolite’s feature on Inside South Florida was a meaningful way to celebrate both our history and future, reaffirming our role as a cornerstone of Miami’s creative community.
