{"id":215768,"date":"2026-04-02T08:47:13","date_gmt":"2026-04-02T08:47:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/215768\/"},"modified":"2026-04-02T08:47:13","modified_gmt":"2026-04-02T08:47:13","slug":"crealde-school-of-art-expands-creative-opportunities-through-orange-county-cultural-tourism-grant","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/215768\/","title":{"rendered":"Creald\u00e9 School of Art Expands Creative Opportunities Through Orange County Cultural Tourism Grant"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>\t\t\t\t\t\t<img width=\"721\" height=\"481\" src=\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/A7403937-scaled.jpg\" class=\"attachment-721xauto size-721xauto wp-post-image\" alt=\"A group of older adults sit at a table painting on canvas during a class.\" decoding=\"async\" fetchpriority=\"high\"  \/><\/p>\n<p>01 April, 2026<\/p>\n<p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/newsroom.ocfl.net\/category\/community-services\/\" class=\"news-tag-box\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Community &amp; Services<\/a><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/crealde.org\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Creald\u00e9 School of Art<\/a> is among the latest recipients of Orange County\u2019s Cultural Tourism Grant Program, an initiative that supports arts and cultural organizations that enhance the region\u2019s economy while enriching quality of life for residents and visitors.<\/p>\n<p>Administered through the County\u2019s <a href=\"https:\/\/www.ocfl.net\/ArtsCulture.aspx\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Office of Arts and Cultural Affairs<\/a> and funded by a percentage of the Tourist Development Tax, the program supports projects that attract cultural tourism, strengthen the local arts community and showcase Central Florida as a vibrant destination for creative experiences.<\/p>\n<p>For more than 50 years, Creald\u00e9 School of Art has been an important part of Central Florida\u2019s cultural landscape, offering a welcoming space where people of all ages and skill levels can explore creativity through classes, exhibitions and community programs.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cCreald\u00e9 is a non-profit dedicated to making art accessible to everyone and creating a space where creativity and community come together in meaningful ways,\u201d said Executive Director Emily Bourmas-Fry. \u201cOur mission is grounded in the belief that creativity brings people together, strengthens communities and enriches lives.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\" wp-image-23793 alignright\" src=\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/A7409040-200x300.jpg\" alt=\"A group of adults sitting in a pottery class participating with hands on activities.\" width=\"266\" height=\"399\"  \/><\/p>\n<p>Located in Winter Park, Creald\u00e9 offers a wide range of hands-on learning experiences led by professional working artists, allowing participants to develop artistic skills while engaging with others through the creative process. Rotating exhibitions and public programs further encourage participation, dialogue and shared cultural experiences.<\/p>\n<p>A key part of the organization\u2019s impact is the Hannibal Square Heritage Center, which preserves and shares the history of Winter Park\u2019s historic African American community. Through exhibitions, oral histories and educational programming, the Heritage Center links artistic expression with cultural history, providing deeper cultural context and helping ensure important community stories continue to be shared.<\/p>\n<p>Funding from Orange County\u2019s Cultural Tourism Grant will allow Creald\u00e9 to expand its exhibitions and hands-on workshops designed to engage both residents and visitors. Short-term classes and immersive experiences provide opportunities for participants to create art while gaining a deeper appreciation for the community\u2019s cultural heritage.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThis investment allows us to enhance experiences that invite people to participate in the arts while also exploring the history and stories that define this community,\u201d said Bourmas-Fry.<\/p>\n<p>Creald\u00e9\u2019s programs reflect the broader role the arts play in strengthening communities and improving quality of life by offering opportunities for expression, reflection and shared understanding.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe arts shape how people experience their lives and their communities,\u201d explained Bourmas-Fry. \u201cPeople come away not only having seen something, but having felt something \u2014 and that\u2019s what stays with them.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Through the Cultural Tourism Grant Program, Orange County continues to invest in organizations like Creald\u00e9 School of Art that support cultural growth, economic vitality and meaningful community connections.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"01 April, 2026 Community &amp; Services Creald\u00e9 School of Art is among the latest recipients of Orange County\u2019s&hellip;\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":215769,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[11],"tags":[139,141,140],"class_list":["post-215768","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-orlando","tag-orlando","tag-orlando-headlines","tag-orlando-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/215768","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=215768"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/215768\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/215769"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=215768"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=215768"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=215768"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}