30 Central Florida artists receive funding through United Arts’ 2026-2027 awards

IMAGE VIA UNITED ARTS OF CENTRAL FLORIDA

United Arts of Central Florida (Website) is investing $150,000 into 30 professional artists and creative entrepreneurs across Orange, Seminole, Osceola, and Lake counties.

The funding, a $50,000 increase over last year’s amount, is part of the 2026-2027 Individual Artist Awards and will support new performances, exhibitions, workshops, and educational programs throughout 2026 and 2027. The awards cover both project-based work and professional development for artists working across music, theater, dance, literature, photography, painting, mixed media, illustration, and history and science. Thirty recipients were selected through a competitive review process by a volunteer panel of arts professionals and community leaders, who evaluated more than 100 applications.

More than a dozen of this year’s funded projects center on community engagement, inviting residents to participate through workshops, performances, exhibitions, and collaborative artmaking. In all, 22 of the awards support project-based work.

“Local artists help tell the authentic stories of who we are as a region,” said Jennifer Evins, President and CEO of United Arts of Central Florida. “This year’s Individual Artist Awards support projects that preserve culture, strengthen communities, encourage dialogue, and invite people of all backgrounds to experience the arts in meaningful ways.”

For Lake County artist Nicora Gangi Manwaring, the award will support a deeper exploration of the region’s natural environment. “The Individual Arts Award will enable me to explore through painting Lake County’s accessible lakes at dawn and dusk, revealing their distinctive character through the changing light and atmosphere,” Gangi said. “These discoveries will be shared through exhibitions and educational programs for participants in Vibrant and Healthy West Orange and the Mount Dora Center for the Arts.”

The full list of 2026-2027 Individual Artist Award recipients spans 30 artists across Orange, Lake, Osceola, and Seminole counties, working in disciplines ranging from painting and photography to poetry, theater, music, and dance. You can see them below.

2026–2027 Individual Artist Award Recipients