Palladium Theater names 2026 Creative Fellows

The Palladium at St. Petersburg College has announced its 2026 Creative Fellowship recipients, continuing a five-year initiative to support working artists across Tampa Bay while the venue prepares for a significant renovation.

The program, launched in 2021, has awarded more than $110,000 to over 40 artists and ensembles. This year’s fellows span disciplines including jazz, opera, dance and multidisciplinary performance, reflecting the diversity of the region’s creative community.

Executive Director Paul Wilborn said the fellowship remains a priority even as the Palladium prepares to close Hough Hall for renovations beginning this summer. The upgrades are part of a broader effort to modernize the historic venue and expand its role in St. Petersburg’s arts ecosystem.

This year’s cohort includes Madison Bender, a dancer and choreographer trained at The Juilliard School who has performed locally with Beacon Dance and The Florida Orchestra. Singer-songwriter Julie Black, known for her blend of jazz, blues and roots music, is also among the recipients.

Hex Appeal, a multi-generational band formed through the Ladies Rock Camp program, joins the list. The group continues to mentor girls and gender-expansive youth through music education and performance opportunities in the region.

Pianist and composer Markus Gottschlich, jazz pianist and executive director of the Warehouse Arts District Association, was also selected. His work combines jazz, classical and global influences.

Other fellows include Zeta the Babe, a singer and saxophonist who incorporates spoken word and live looping into her performances, and a classical collaboration between soprano Christine Honein and pianist Ghadeer Abaido, both of whom have performed across the United States, Europe and the Middle East.

Jazz vocalist Allison Nash, ensemble ARConnection, choreographer Lauren Slone (co-founder of Beacon Dance) and multidisciplinary artist Adam Turkel round out the 2026 class. Their projects range from new jazz compositions to performance pieces that blend visual art and music.

Each fellow receives up to $2,500 in unrestricted funding along with access to rehearsal space, marketing support and professional guidance. The program is designed to give artists flexibility to develop new work without tying funding to a single performance.

With construction set to begin in the coming months, the Palladium will pause its usual schedule of fellowship performances. Instead, the 2026 awards will focus on project development, with public presentations expected to return after renovations are complete.

Since its inception, the fellowship has served as both a funding source and a platform for new work. Past recipients have premiered original performances at the Palladium, helping establish the venue as a key incubator for locally produced arts programming.

The program is supported by a combination of private donors, foundations and public funding, including contributions from the City of St. Petersburg.

More information about the fellowship program is available at mypalladium.org.