Photos: Inside the 2024 Fort Lauderdale ArtServe Impact Awards

Broward’s creative community was buzzing during April as they gathered for ArtServe’s second annual Impact Awards, a celebration of unsung heroes in the arts world who exemplify the organization’s core mission of talent-driven inclusivity and the soaring achievements that emerge and thrive because of it. See photos from the event. 

An education coordinator, a publisher, a puppeteer, a corporate leadership consultant and a man who refused to let another’s legacy fade into history were the recipients of this year’s Impact Awards. 

Each of their individual stories clearly imparted the revelation that creating art isn’t ever just about a paint brush and a canvas.

“In the world of cultural arts, sharing and teaching are just as important as the actual artwork itself,” ArtServe CEO Jason Hughes explained.  “And often, the artist, the conduit and the teacher are all different people who converge to make an impact.”

City of Fort Lauderdale Mayor Dean Trantalis and Vice Mayor Steve Glassman, whose own dedication to the arts has helped transform the area into a cultural mecca, surprised everyone in attendance that evening by presenting a public proclamation of April 19 as “ArtServe Day” throughout the City of Fort Lauderdale.

The 2024 Impact Award winners are:

Artist of Impact:  Puppet Network Founder and Civic Leader Jim Hammond, best known for creating the beloved Florida Day of the Dead Celebration

Community Partner of Impact:  Leadership Broward Foundation Executive Director Andrew Zullo

Media Advocate of Impact: Riverwalk Trust President and CEO Genia Duncan Ellis and Go Riverwalk Magazine Publisher Mark Budwig

Legacy of Impact: Thaddeus "THAD" Hamilton, Chair of the Tuskegee Airman of South Florida; also United Negro College Fund, South Florida Leadership Council Chair

Educator of Impact:  Jessica Swanson, Technology Magnet Program Coordinator; Dillard School for the Arts

“South Florida is filled with creative people, many of whom gather at ArtServe, where anyone can exhibit their unique work, share their talents and learn new techniques,” Hughes noted.  “The Impact Awards is about people who bring the community together in that same spirit.”

ArtServe inspires, supports and advances its diverse members, artists and community by promoting artistic development, education and prosperity through the exploration and presentation of the visual and performing arts.

About ArtServe

Fort Lauderdale-based ArtServe is an award-winning arts incubator that is advancing the arts for social good as a creative laboratory and hub for experimental artists committed to diversity, equity and inclusion. Now in its 35th year, ArtServe has won several awards for innovation in the arts and is supported in part by the Broward County Board of County Commissioners as recommended by the Broward Cultural Council and Florida’s Department of State and the Division of Cultural Affairs. Each year, ArtServe programs contribute tangibly to the region’s economy, helping 2,000+ artists sell their work, build businesses and engage the community. To do that, ArtServe secures financial support through donations, sponsorships and memberships.

Photo Credit: SRL Media, Inc.

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