Broward celebrates the arts, eyes golden 50th with new vision and investment
Broward County leaders, artists and cultural partners gathered Thursday, Nov. 6, for the third annual State of the Arts address in the Broward County Convention Center’s new east expansion, reflecting on the past year’s progress and unveiling new initiatives as the county’s arts community looks ahead to its 50th anniversary in 2026.
Broward Cultural Council Chair Janet Erlick opened the program with words of gratitude and reflection, speaking to the county’s continued support for the arts amid funding challenges seen across the country.
“In recent years we have watched unprecedented challenges to arts funding at both the federal and state levels, challenges that placed many organizations and artists in real financial peril,” Erlick said.
“Yet here in Broward County, during that same moment of uncertainty, our elected officials communicated with care, they acted with transparency, they protected the cultural programs that our community needs now more than ever.”
‘The arts bring people together’
Vice Mayor Mark D. Bogen, who represents District 2, said that the arts have always been a priority for the county.
“The arts bring people together across neighborhoods, cultures as well as generations,” Bogen said. “They strengthen our local economy, attract visitors and make this county not only a great place to do business but a great place for enjoyment.”
District 5 Commissioner Steve Geller, Broward County’s representative to the Cultural Council for the past eight years, said cultural access remains a key goal, especially for residents in western Broward.
Geller also said last year’s docket included expanding the cultural divion’s buget to launch the Arts and Culture Festival and Special Event Sponsorship Program, which helps bring more festivals, performances and culture gatherings to neighbors across the county.
“This year, even with strong budget pressure, where cuts were made to most areas, I’m proud to say no cuts were made to the culture division’s budget,” Geller said.
Speaking about the council’s upcoming West Broward Cultural Center, Geller said it was a long time coming.
“For years residents in the western part of the county have asked for greater access to cultural experiences closer to home,” Geller said. “It is not just a building, it is an investment in access, equity, and opportunity, a promise that the arts belong to everyone in every part of this county.”
The project will feature a black box theater, rehearsal studios for music and dance, art galleries and artists work spaces and flexible offices for the cultural organizations in the county.
New partnerships and recognition
Monica Cepero, Broward County Administrator, previewed upcoming projects such as the debut of the Omni Hotel, connected to the expanded Broward County Convention Center.
Cepero also presented the cultural divisions new Visual Artistic Excellence Award, the county’s highest recognition for visual artists who live and work in Broward County.
The inaugural recipient of the award was Jacoub Reyes, a multidisciplinary artist focused on sustainable and experimental printmaking.
Capero also showcased a creative partnership with the back-to-back Stanley Cup champion Florida Panthers through the Panthers on the Prowl initiative.
The project features life-sized panther sculptures painted by local artists Marcus Grabster and Magda Love to raise awareness and funds for cancer research and patient support services.
Investing in the creative economy
Phillip Dunlap, Cultural Divison Director, closed the address and spotlighted the county’s financial commitment to the arts.
He said the county appropriated $7.8 million in the 2026 fiscal year, which began Oct. 1 for cultural initiative, grants and scholarships.
The address marked the first event held in the new South Piper Ballroom, part of the new convention center’s east expansion.
A recent study conducted with Americans for the Arts found that Broward County’s creative sector generates $386 million in economic activity.
“For every single public dollar invested in arts and culture, it returns on average $9 more to the community,” Dunlap said. “That’s $7.8 million invested directly into the people, into the organizations and ideas that shape Broward’s cultural landscape.”
Dunlap pointed to the success of the Arts and Cultural Festival and Special Event Sponsorship Program, which launched in January to support neighborhood-based events.
“Just in its first nine months alone, this program has already supported 36 festivals and special events,” Dunlap said. “From the Hollywood Salsa Festival to the Jamaica 63rd Independence celebration in Lauderhill, to the Caribbean Heritage Festival in Pembroke Pines, Miramar’s Comic Expo and the annual favorite Rhythms of Africa at the Miramar Cultural Center.”
Golden anniversary on the horizon
As Broward approaches its golden anniversary in 2026, the division plans to launch a yearlong theme called 50 and Forward, to celebrate five decades of cultural initiatives and progress.
Dunlap also noted new public art commissions on the horizon — including Plumage Passage by Ernesto Maranje at Port Evergaldes and Tropical Solace by Muta Visions adorning the county parking garage — as well as upcoming water installations at Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport by Lachlan Turczan.
Other upcoming projects include the Creative Count research initiative, a retrospective book on public art, and Everyone Under the Stars, a large-scale light installation on the 17th Street Causeway by artist Tracey Dear.
In January, the division will partner with the Broward County Library Division and the African American Research Library and Cultural Center to present Selma Is Now, an exhibition documenting the 1965 Selma to Montgomery March as photographed by Spider Martin.
The exhibition, drawn from the collection of local arts patron Doug McCraw, is scheduled to open Jan. 31, 2026, and remain on view at AARLCC for six months.
The county will also host the fifth annual Ignite Art and Light Festival from Feb. 13-22, 2026, across Fort Lauderdale, Hollywood and Dania Beach.
‘A public asset ... a lifeline’
Closing the event, Dunlap reflected on the role of art in strengthening communities.
“When a disaster hits or neighbors change, what holds a community together isn’t a policy memo, it’s cultural memory,” Dunlap said. “... We must start treating culture for what it is, a public asset, a strategy and a lifeline.”
This story was originally published November 6, 2025 at 4:14 PM.
