Creativity manifests itself in many different ways. In Broward County, we are fortunate to have numerous individuals and organizations in our midst who enrich our lives through their creative endeavors. This edition of Cultural Quarterly introduces you to several of them.

Meet photographer Colby Katz, for example, who views fascinating and sometimes unsettling worlds through her lens. Her acclaimed work has been recognized for the second time with a South Florida Cultural Consortium Fellowship for Visual and Media Artists.

Haitian-born author Edwidge Danticat received a National Book Critics Circle Award for her 2007 memoir, Brother, I am Dying. Her compelling portraits of family and immigrant life have brought her into the forefront of the literary world and earned her a highly coveted 2009 MacArthur Fellowship – popularly known as the “Genius Award.”

In the realm of the performing arts, David Spangler’s Lovewell Institute has helped young people find their artistic voices for more than two decades. Lovewell was founded – and has grown dramatically – on the premise that young people possess unlimited creativity that, when properly prompted and harnessed, virtually explodes on the stage.

As you read about these and other creative souls, we think you will agree that our county continues to reign as a coveted location on the cultural landscape of South Florida and beyond. In challenging economic times such as these, the arts deserve our support more than ever. As always, my colleagues on the Broward County Commission join me in encouraging you to take full advantage of the opportunities that surround us.

Mayor Ken Keechl