Nadia Garzón & Descolonizarte Teatro

Art has the power to move us, connect us, and spark change. For Nadia Garzón, founder and executive director of Descolonizarte Teatro, theater is more than performance. It is a tool for social change, cultural pride, and accessibility. With support from United Arts, Nadia has been able to create spaces where all voices are celebrated, […]

4th Annual Athletes for Artists Golf Tournament

The sun was shining, the greens were perfect, and the energy was high as community members gathered for the 4th Annual Athletes for Artists Golf Tournament at the beautiful Lake Nona Golf & Country Club. This isn’t just any golf outing. Hosted on a championship course designed by Tom Fazio, the tournament brings together athletes, […]

UA-Osceola Teaching Artist Residency Brings Art into Classrooms

Osceola Teaching Residency 2025

Think back to your early school days. Chances are, the moments that really stuck with you weren’t tied to a test or a textbook. Maybe it was the day your class took a field trip to a museum. Or when your teacher rolled a cart of instruments into the classroom for music time.  These are […]

A NEW APPROACH TO ARTS-INTEGRATED LEARNING

Children sit at tables to do artwork in class.

The last five years have been particularly challenging for the 400,000 pre-kindergarten through 12th-grade students enrolled in local public schools. The pandemic disrupted their chance to learn classroom behaviors, advance social skills and develop emotional resilience. The process of leaving traditional classroom spaces and adjusting to virtual home-schooling environments created a set of never-before-seen challenges […]

THE ORIGINAL INFLUENCERS: THREE LEGENDARY PROFESSORS

These days, almost anyone can watch (or, sometimes, become) a social-media influencer. Our look-at-me culture and ubiquitous smart technology supports achieving such instant fame, for better or worse. That wasn’t always the case. There was a time when we carefully curated our influencers as mentors and thought leaders—and when influencers were more impactful than teachers. […]

Growing Awareness

Two men with gardening tools bent over a mound of soil on the 4Rivers campus.

4Roots Farm is all about health, sustainability, and changing the way consumers think about food By Beth Kassab Soon after the onset of COVID-19, local restaurateur John Rivers found a way through his “Meet the Need” program to bring hot meals to people who gathered for weekly giveaways at the Plaza Live in Orlando’s Milk […]

Doctor’s Orders

The Phillips family loved music. So they made sure that their wealth would nurture the arts just as it had their citrus groves. By Randy Noles From their grand Victorian home on Lake Lucerne in downtown Orlando, citrus magnate Dr. Philip Phillips—his friends called him “Doc”—and his golden-haired wife, Della, routinely hosted community musicales featuring […]

United Arts Awarded The Dr. Phillips Leadership Award

United Arts was awarded  The Dr. Phillips Leadership Award at the “Celebrating 150 Years of Dr. Phillips’ Legacy” gala held October 17, 2024, at the Dr. Phillips Performing Arts Center. This award recognizes nonprofit organizations that demonstrate outstanding community leadership, financial stewardship, and sustainable, life-changing programs. The award comes with $150,000 As we celebrate 150 […]

Making Strides

John Sinclair

Arts Organizations Are Celebrating Milestones, Changing Executives and Planning Expansions. By Randy Noles At the risk of stating the obvious, it has been a busy year for local arts groups. Not only are most bouncing back to pre-pandemic levels of support and attendance, many are also celebrating anniversaries, welcoming new leaders and planning major moves. The downside: […]