City of Fort Myers Awards $150,000 in Arts and Culture Grants
FORT MYERS, Fla. (June 17, 2025) – This June, the City of Fort Myers is awarding $150,000 in grants to arts organizations, groups and individual artists advancing arts and culture within the City. Fort Myers City Council unanimously approved the item at the June 16 meeting.
The City recognizes the importance of the arts to the cultural, economic, educational and well-being of its diverse resident base. To enhance access to a full range of cultural experiences and beautification projects, the City provides annual funding to grow the arts and culture sector for citizens and visitors alike.
“This year, 28 organizations, groups and individual artists submitted applications totaling $172,400 in funding requests,” said Jessica McElwee, Grants and Special Projects Director for the City of Fort Myers. “The scoring committee was thrilled by the array of applicant submission ideas and made their recommendation to fund the highest scoring entities that met the grant requirements and evaluation criteria.”
Last fiscal year, the City awarded $110,000 in grants to support local organizations, groups and individual artists within the City of Fort Myers. This year, the City made $150,000 available to help sustain arts and cultural programming in the community.
Recipient organizations include Alliance for the Arts, Fort Myers Mural Society, ArtFest Fort Myers, River District Alliance, Theater Conspiracy, Arts for ACT Gallery, Florida Repertory Theater, Fort Myers Symphonic Mastersingers, Artsemble Underground, Americana Community Music Association, Sidney & Berne Davis Art Center, The Laboratory Theater of Florida, Quality Life Center, Choral Artistry, Collaboratory, United Haitian American Chamber of Commerce of SWFL and Polos Pet Closet.
Individual artist awardees include Stacey Brown, Ceasar Aguilera, Christar Damiano, Juliana Versari, Kira Sonin Dworkin, Amanda Collins, Patricia Collins and Jenna Algeo. The group recipient awardees are Conni Bottinelli and Devon Crumpacker.
“We’re appreciative of the City’s support to help us enhance downtown Fort Myers as a hub of economic, social and cultural activity,” said Lisa Sbuttoni, President and CEO of the River District Alliance. “It’s more important than ever to sustain our local arts programming and provide enriching activities for residents and those traveling to the area.”
To learn more, visit fortmyers.gov/arts.
About the City of Fort Myers
Incorporated in 1886, the City of Fort Myers is committed to providing exceptional municipal services to residents, businesses and visitors in a fiscally responsible manner while preserving the City’s rich history, diverse culture and charming lifestyle. To carry out its mission, the City of Fort Myers strives to provide economic opportunity, personal growth and a high quality of life surrounded by a beautiful natural environment, while fostering an atmosphere where citizens and businesses can thrive. To learn more and get involved, visit fortmyers.gov.