ORANGE ISLAND ARTS FOUNDATION, INC.
COCONUT CREEK, FLORIDA

Mission Statement Orange Island Arts Foundation, which is based in Broward County yet serves South Florida and beyond, is an organization that encourages creativity; cultivates learning; and engages youth, established and aspiring writers, and the community at large with the literary arts. By providing avenues for local and national artists, we seek to inspire those who are interested in further developing their talents. We support transformational ideas by creating literary programs to help the 21st century writer in collaboration, publishing, showcasing, and learning. Orange Island Arts Foundation, Inc. is a 501c3 non-profit corporation in the State of Florida The name Orange Island refers to the first budding landmass of Florida. As sea levels rose during the early Oligocene Epoch, the island formed south of the Georgia coastline. Just as this tumultuous time period resulted in drastic geographic changes to the region now known as Florida, the Orange Island Arts Foundation seeks to create an arts community rising out of Broward County with the aim for global reach. a true native of South Florida, was born and raised in Broward County. She is the founder and executive director of Orange Island Arts Foundations and also a tenured assistant professor of English at Broward College, where she was the recipient of the 2014 Wells Fargo Endowed Teaching Chair. Laura earned a BA in creative writing at Florida State University and an MFA in creative writing at Florida International University. In recognition of her dedication to higher education and writing, Laura was awarded a Professional Equity Project Grant by the 2008 Conference on College Composition and Communication and a 2012 Paragon Award by Phi Theta Kappa. She is the 2014-2015 Writer-in-Residency of Girls’ Club, a private foundation and alternative space that inspires cultural growth, in Broward County. . A University of Florida graduate, she brings marketing and public relations skills to her position with Orange Island Arts Foundation is a graduate of the Florida International University School of Journalism and Mass Communication and brings with her skills in broad/narrow casting, video production, non-linear editing, and video compression for today’s digital world. She is currently an Assistant Director for NBC 6 South Florida, coordinating the on-air graphic and audio demands for the evening news. Her love of poetry led her to two poetry internships and planning community outreach programs with the Overtown Youth Center in Miami, Florida. ORANGE ISLAND ARTS FOUNDATION DEBUTS WITH LAUNCH PARTY AND – Seeking to cultivate community through the written word, the literary arts organization Orange Island Arts Foundation (OIAF) will officially debut to the public on Saturday, Sept. 27, with a Launch Party followed by the live poetry event 100 Thousand Poets for Change. Members of the South Florida literary world and the public are invited to enjoy an evening of drinks, light bites, art, music and poetry as Orange Island Arts Foundation is officially unveiled at World & Eye Arts Center in F.A.T. Village, Fort Lauderdale. “Orange Island Arts Foundation hopes to serve as a resource for existing and emerging writers, During the launch party, from 6-7 p.m., guests will have the chance to meet the staff of writers behind Orange Island Arts Foundation and learn about the organization’s future plans, including a literary review publishing student and adult writers, From 7-10 p.m. will be 100 Thousand Poets for Change (100TPC), an annual one-day event in which poets around the country and the globe gather in a celebration of poetry to promote social, environmental and political change. The 100TPC event at World & Eye, coordinated by Orange Island Arts Foundation, will feature poetry readings by such acclaimed authors as Rosalia Curbelo, Neil de la Flor, Denise Duhamel, Michael Hettich, Caridad Moro McCormick, Nzingah Oniwosan, Julie Marie Wade, Marie Whitman and “Bonita Day.” Cocktails, light bites and music will be available. Orange Island Arts Foundation comprises an experienced team of writing and communications professionals led by McDermott Matheric, who studied creative writing at Florida State University and received her Master of Fine Arts degree in poetry from Florida International University. A tenured assistant professor of English at Broward College and recipient of the 2014 Wells Fargo Endowed Teaching Chair, McDermott Matheric has developed several literary projects within the local community and served as the festival coordinator of a renowned South Florida poetry festival for nearly a decade. The name Orange Island refers to the first budding landmass of Florida. As sea levels rose during the early Oligocene Epoch, the island formed south of the Georgia coastline. Just as this tumultuous time period resulted in drastic geographic changes to the region now known as Florida, the Orange Island Arts Foundation seeks to create a literary arts community rising out of Broward County with the aim for global reach. page and helps readers connect with his work in a more powerful way. Orange Island Arts Foundation is a nonprofit organization based in Broward County, Florida. We support the literary arts in all forms, including poetry, prose, fiction, and nonfiction. The organization seeks to connect with students, aspiring writers, existing writers, and the community at large through programming such as a workshop at sea, a literary review, readings, social events, contests, and more. Staffed by professional writers, Orange Island Arts Foundation seeks to inspire individuals in South Florida and beyond to embrace the written word.