BOCA RATON, FL (BocaNewsNow.com) (Copyright © 2025 MetroDesk Media, LLC) — A Palm Beach County artist got a huge surprise last week. Sharon Lee Hart was named the recipient of the inaugural Distinguished Woman Artist’s Prize during an opening reception at the Cultural Council for Palm Beach County in Lake Worth Beach. The Council presented Hart with a giant check for $10,000 in front of an audience of about 200 people at its “Fiber Optics” main gallery exhibition.
The new prize, funded for the next five years by artist Suzi K. Edwards through the Henry L. Kimelman Foundation, aims to champion established female artists at an “inflection point” in their careers. In addition to the $10,000, Hart will also have the opportunity to exhibit her works at the Cultural Council or a collaborating institution within the next five years. Earlier this year, the Council sought nominations for the prize from local arts professionals. Eligible nominees had to identify as female, be 40 or older, and have resided in Palm Beach County for over three years, demonstrating quality work and a strong commitment to their practice. A separate, independent committee of national and international arts professionals reviewed the nominees and selected the winner.
“We are thrilled to present this inaugural prize to Sharon Lee Hart, whose beautiful photography, collages, mixed media, and artist books demonstrate her expansive talents,” said Dave Lawrence, Cultural Council president and CEO. Hart is an associate professor of art at Florida Atlantic University in Boca Raton. She has served as an artist-in-residence at Joshua Tree National Park and her work is included in several permanent collections, including the Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art in Kansas City.
Hart said she was “in shock” when the prize was announced. “Given the nature of the award, it acknowledges all these years of hard work,” she said. “There are two major projects I’m currently working on, so the prize is an extra dose of acknowledgement and energy that helps keep the momentum going.” The Distinguished Woman Artist’s Prize is one of several recurring programs the Cultural Council offers to support local artists.
