CF Appleton Museum of Art wins FAM 2026 Museum Excellence Award for Education

Appleton Museum of Art, College of Central Florida, was pleased to be awarded the Florida Association of Museums (FAM) 2026 Museum Excellence Award for Education.

FAM’s annual Museum Service Awards Program recognizes outstanding contributions to the museum profession in the Sunshine State. The Museum Excellence Award for Education recognized the Appleton’s 2025 Summer Art Camp for its impact, growth and significant role in enriching the community’s cultural and educational landscape.

Led by Museum Educator Hollis Mutch since 2017, the Summer Art Camp program achieved impressive growth and expanded its reach into underserved communities. As the largest art camp in the region and one of the few dedicated specifically to the visual arts, the program fulfills an important need for K-12 students by providing a safe, supportive summer learning environment that strengthens visual arts skills and encourages creative expression.

“Over the past nine years it has been a joy to get to know the children and families our summer art camp serve, and see the camper’s art skills grow from scribbling to creating awe-inspiring drawings, paintings and sculptures,” Mutch said. “Our amazing team of talented summer camp teachers and education assistants are the reason our camp is so successful.”

The program has grown significantly in less than a decade. In 2017, the Summer Art Camp offered 15 half-day camps over six weeks, serving 178 campers with eight staff members. By 2025, the program had expanded to 29 half-day camps over 10 weeks, serving 405 campers with 21 staff members.

In 2025, the program also expanded its community outreach by providing a free week of camp for students from East Marion Elementary, a United Way of Marion County community partner school located in the rural Ocala National Forest.

Over eight seasons under Mutch’s leadership, approximately 2,400 students have participated in Summer Art Camp at the Appleton. With more than 400 campers ages 5-17 participating in 2025 alone, the program’s continued growth reflects both strong community demand and Mutch’s dedication to expanding access to high-quality visual arts education.

“We are so proud of Hollis and our entire education team, and grateful to FAM for this prestigious recognition of all the passion and hard work that go into planning and running a camp of the Appleton’s size and caliber,” said Victoria Billig, assistant director at the Appleton Museum of Art.

About Florida Association of Museums

The Florida Association of Museums is the not-for-profit professional organization for Florida’s museums and museum professionals. The mission of the association is to represent and address the needs of the museum community, enhancing the ability of museums to serve the public interest. The Association encourages excellence in its members by promoting communication through which its members share information and resources, effect legislation and promote support of museums.

The Appleton Museum, Artspace and Store are open Tuesday-Saturday, 10 a.m.-5 p.m. and Sunday, noon-5 p.m. A campus of the College of Central Florida, the Appleton Museum of Art is located at 4333 E. Silver Springs Blvd., Ocala, east of downtown on SR 40 (exit 352 east off I-75 or exit 268 west off I-95). Parking is free. For more information, call 352-291-4455 or visit AppletonMuseum.org.