United Arts of Central Florida is investing $100,000 directly into individual professional artists and creative entrepreneurs to ignite innovation and foster creativity throughout the region’s arts community. Driven by a vision of a thriving arts ecosystem that promotes lasting prosperity, creativity, and well-being, United Arts is proud to announce the 2025-2026 recipients of its annual Individual Artist Awards. This $100,000 award fund is made possible through $50,000 from Duke Energy and $50,000 raised by United Arts’ Athletes for Artists golf tournament.
This year, 20 local professional artists and creative entrepreneurs representing communities from Eustis to Kissimmee will receive $5,000 each. These awards are considered a stipend to the artist for the work undertaken and completed. The selection was made from a competitive pool of 61 eligible applications collectively requesting more than $305,000 in funding, highlighting the need for more financial support.
Jennifer Evins, president and CEO of United Arts of Central Florida shared, “These local artists are the heartbeat of our creative sector. With a $100,000 investment, we’ll benefit from 20 bold and new community-focused projects across Central Florida. These initiatives will make a real impact in areas like education, mental health, and the environment, showing how the arts can drive meaningful change.”
Among the funded projects are 11 immersive experiences; 6 initiatives focused on building community and fostering a sense of belonging; and several others that broaden access to the arts, including 2 live performance-based works and 3 projects centered on arts training and education. Additionally, 5 projects aim to support community mental health and wellness, while 3 bring attention to environmental issues.
Said award recipient Njeri Kinuthia, a multi-media visual artist and UCF professor, “I am thrilled and honored to receive this award because it will enable me to continue engaging and collaborating with the community through art workshops.”
These artists were selected by a panel of 34 local volunteers who carefully reviewed applications, evaluating artistic excellence, community impact, and career potential with expertise in arts, nonprofit management, and creative entrepreneurship. Volunteer panelists donated 25 hours each to make this process a reality.
The 2025-2026 recipients of United Arts’ annual Individual Artist Awards are:
| Artist Name | Artistic Discipline | Area of Residence County / City | Project Name |
| Camara Gaither | Performing Arts / Other | Orange / Orlando | From Ink to Insight: A Poetry Therapy Group Experience |
| Don Harrell | Performing Arts / Theater | Orange / Winter Garden | Orisirisi Earth Day Celebration |
| Tasanee Durrett | Visual Arts & Design / Painting | Seminole / Altamonte Springs | Our Orlando Exhibition |
| Claire Simpson | Visual Arts & Design / Other | Lake / Okahumpka | Origins |
| Njeri Kinuthia | Visual Arts & Design / Other | Orange / Orlando | I See You |
| Belina Wright | Visual Arts & Design / Painting | Lake / Eustis | Cultures Around Us |
| Katie Willoughby | Visual Arts & Design / Other | Orange / Maitland | Quarters for Culture |
| Richard Munster | Visual Arts & Design / Ceramics | Orange / Winter Park | Portrait of a Kiln: 2026 |
| Shawn Welcome | Performing Arts / Other | Orange / Orlando | Revive Zora Campaign |
| Laura Buitrago | Visual Arts & Design / Mixed Media | Orange / Orlando | Thank You, Shadow, For Now I Am Free |
| River Coello | Visual Arts & Design / Mixed Media | Orange / Winter Park | HAMPI |
| Joe Harrington | Performing Arts / Dance | Seminole / Oviedo | Leveling Up Contra Dancing in Orlando and Central Florida |
| Surabhi Adesh | Performing Arts / Music | Orange / Ocoee | Harmony Bridge: Intergenerational Music Connections |
| Maria Fernanda Saavedra | Performing Arts / Dance | Orange / Lake Buena Vista | Moving Through Stories |
| Ilan Morgenstern | Performing Arts / Music | Orange / Orlando | Sunshine Trombone Collective |
| Charis Watler | Performing Arts / Theater | Orange / Maitland | God & Science: Agnes of God and themed art gallery, produced and directed by Charis Watler |
| Mya Osborne | Visual Arts & Design / Mixed Media | Orange / Orlando | The Art of Storytelling in Visual Art: Empathy in its Most Basic Form |
| Sanjana Deshmukh | Visual Arts & Design / Mixed Media | Seminole / Casselberry | Canvas of the Soul |
| Barbara Ortiz | Performing Arts / Dance | Osceola / Kissimmee | Puerto Rico is Bomba! Raíces que Hablan (Roots that Speak) |
| Ilana Zaks | Performing Arts / Music | Orange / Orlando | Echoes of Form: Music, Migration, and the Natural World in the Age of Polasek |
Featured image: Reconstruction by Njeri Kinuthia
