08/16/2026
On Saturday, August 15, the Artists of Palm Beach County Board and Advisory Board held its annual planning retreat, introduced by President Carole Pichney and led by professional consultant Kat Penley. All worked hard to map strategies for continued growth, increased opportunities, and sustainability.
Over the past three years, APBC has grown significantly, evolving from a relatively small artists’ organization into a vibrant and increasingly influential force in our region’s cultural community.
Our membership has grown from approximately 70 members to over 300, reflecting both the strength of our programming and the growing desire among artists to connect, exhibit, learn, and contribute. This growth builds on the strategic direction established in 2023 and strengthened at our 2024 Board Retreat, when APBC identified exhibitions, community outreach, volunteer engagement, partnerships, and increased visibility as priorities. By September 2024, membership had already doubled to 142.
But APBC’s growth is about far more than numbers. We have dramatically expanded exhibition opportunities, developed relationships with new venues, strengthened our monthly Art Salons and workshops, introduced new membership opportunities, and created programs that bring artists together while connecting art with the broader community.
Our reach has also expanded through community outreach, educational initiatives, collaborations with other arts organizations, and new partnerships throughout Palm Beach County and the Treasure Coast. In 2026, that spirit of collaboration helped lead to the creation of the Palm Beach County Arts Consortium and the Better Together exhibition, demonstrating what can happen when arts organizations work collectively to strengthen our cultural community.
At the same time, APBC has strengthened its infrastructure—improving communications and marketing, expanding our digital presence, professionalizing our exhibition and jurying processes, developing new fundraising initiatives, and creating more opportunities for members to become actively involved.
Perhaps most importantly, we have built a stronger community of artists supporting artists. APBC has become a place where emerging and established artists can share their work, develop professionally, build relationships, volunteer, and participate in something larger than themselves.
The past three years have demonstrated what is possible when a dedicated Board, engaged membership, volunteers, community partners, and supporters share a common vision. We are proud of how far APBC has come—and even more excited about where we are going next.
We have grown not simply by becoming larger, but by becoming more connected, more visible, more collaborative, and more impactful.
It's a great time to get involved by joining these hardworking volunteers to further APBC's success!
(Photography and video by Katie Deits)
