Panel Report Visual Arts

Memorandum

The Visual Arts grant panel meeting was held via teleconference on August 20, 2015. Twenty-eight (28) eligible applications were reviewed and all were recommended for funding.

A complete list of all reviewed applications, with the request amounts and final scores, is provided in the following sections.

Panel comment was as follows:

Panel comments were offered regarding the smoothness of the panel review process.

Public comment was as follows:

There were no public comments.

Panel Biographies

Beth Eby

Indianapolis, Indiana

• Freelance Consultant, Indianapolis, Indiana
• Previously, Exhibition Designer and Manager, The Royal Institute of Technology, Kista, Sweden; Senior Project Artchitect and Historic Preservationist, MLD Architects, Tallahassee, Florida; Project Architect, Brennan & Company, Catonsville, Maryland
• M.A., Arts Administration, Florida State University; B.A., Architecture, University of Arkansas

Flora Maria Garcia

Orange County

• President & CEO, United Arts of Central Florida, Orlando, Florida
• Previously, CEO, Metro Atlanta Arts & Culture Coalition; President, Arts Council of Fort Worth; and Executive Director, Missouri Arts Council
• M.A., Fine Art & Modern Languages, St. Mary’s College; MBA & MA, Business & Arts Administration, Southern Methodist University

Carol Hoffman-Guzman

Miami-Dade County

• Founding Director, Arts at St. Johns and practicing Visual Artist, Miami Beach, Florida
• Previously, Editor/Publisher, Craft Range, Denver and Western region, Colorado;
• Doctorate of Ministry, South Florida Center for Theological Studies; Ph.D, Sociology, Florida International University; Masters in Theology, Barry University; B.A., Anthropology, Cornell University

Claire Orogolas

Polk County

• Executive Director, Polk Museum of Art, Lakeland, Florida
• Previously, Director of Education and Public Programs, Freer Gallery of Art and Arthur M. Sackler Gallery, Washington, D.C.
• B.S. & M.S, Art Education, Wright State University; Certificate in Senior Executive Leadership, Georgetown University; Certificate in Senior Leadership Development, Smithsonian

Leigh Rodante

Duval County

• Director of Programs and Exhibitions, The Cultural Center at Ponte Vedra Beach
• Previously a design manager, quality assurance manager and program developer for Fortune 500 companies including Blue Cross/Blue Shield and Website Pros
• Former assistant director for Karpeles Museum
• Over 15 years’ experience designing, developing, and implementing arts programs; serves on Cultural Council of greater Jacksonville's grant panel board       
• B.A., Psychology with minor in Fine Arts, University of North Florida

Caroline Santiago

Miami-Dade County

• Executive Director, Coral Gables Museum
• Serves on the Board of Bike Walk Coral Gables and Dade Heritage Trust
• B. A., Florida Atlantic University

Georgia Vahue

Hillsborough County

• Executive Director, Firehouse Cultural Center, Ruskin, Florida  
• Previously, Director, Gallery & Operations Director and Curator, Great Neck Arts Center, New York; Art Specialist, School District of Hillsborough County
• B.A., Art History/Arts Education, University of South Florida

Fullbright Fellow, Teacher Exchange Program, London, 1999-2000    

Panel Recommendations

This list contains the panel recommendations to the Florida Council on Arts and Culture. This is not a final funding recommendation. Panel review is step 2 in a 4 step review process.