The Ellies 2026

We are thrilled to share that on Wednesday, April 22, 2026, Oolite Arts will host The Ellies—Oolite Arts Awards: Celebrating the Foundation for What’s Next.

This year, we are privileged to honor visionary arts leaders Mario Cader-Frech and Robert S. Wennett for their enduring legacy and transformative contributions to the advancement of arts and culture, cultivating research into and the dissemination of Central American art and its diaspora through The Museo Reina Sofía’s Cader Institute of Central American Art (ICAC) and Y.ES Contemporary. They are also recognized for their pivotal role as founding members of the Art Basel Global Patrons Committee and for their continued patronage of Miami’s art institutions and artists.

The Ellies—Oolite Arts Awards were established in 2018 to honor the spirit of our founder, Ellie Schneiderman—her love of the arts, her boundless curiosity, and her belief in creativity as a powerful, unifying force. Each year, Oolite Arts celebrates and supports the artists who shape our community by awarding $500,000 in unrestricted grants and acquisitions for the Oolite Arts Collection, which will be donated to national and international museums. An additional $100,000 was awarded last year to celebrate our 40th Anniversary.

The awards are presented across four categories: the Lifetime Achievement Award, inspired by Michael Richards, honoring an artist whose career has made a profound and enduring impact on South Florida’s cultural landscape; the Better World Award, recognizing artists whose work sparks dialogue around vital issues such as social justice, climate change, gender equality, and racial equity; the Teacher Travel Awards, providing five grants of $5,000 each to support travel opportunities for Miami-Dade public school educators to enrich their classroom curriculum; and the Creator Awards, empowering artists living and working in South Florida.