When Alyona Ushe became Arts Bonita’s president three years ago, the organization had an annual operating deficit. Not only has that been eliminated, but Arts Bonita has also increased its operating budget from approximately $2.5 million to more than $4 million last fiscal year. That’s enabled Arts Bonita to expand the number of its concerts, theatrical productions, comedy performances, and special events to more than 200 annually while simultaneously adding initiatives in improv, drama, dance, film, and digital arts.
As it enters into year four of Ushe’s tenure, Arts Bonita continues to grow, offering year-round visual and performing arts programming, educational opportunities for all ages, national art festivals, community outreach initiatives, and multidisciplinary artistic experiences across its Visual Arts and Performing Arts campuses.
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Alyona Ushe began her career by founding Classika-Synetic Theater in the Washington D.C. Metro area. She then served as executive director of the New Orleans Opera Association and St. Lucie Cultural Alliance.
As President and CEO of South Florida’s Creative City Collaborative, Ushe grew the organizational budget to over $4 million, founded the critically acclaimed Arts Garage in Delray Beach (which presented more than 500 performances by both regional and international artists) and won a highly competitive bid in Pompano Beach to revitalize, program, and operate a 3,000-seat dormant amphitheater and open a new $20 million cultural center.
Ushe has achieved similar milestones since joining Arts Bonita.
She attributes the organization’s success over the past three years to her dedicated team of passionate professionals who work collaboratively to strengthen their departments and build a culture rooted in creativity, camaraderie, innovation, and community service.
“The growth of Arts Bonita over the last three years has been made possible through the dedication of our staff, faculty, artists, board members, donors, volunteers, and community partners,” said Ushe. “Together, we have worked to build an organization that not only presents exceptional arts programming, but also serves as a place where creativity, education, and community thrive. I am incredibly proud of what we have accomplished together and excited for the future ahead.”
Broadened repertoire of musical genres
In addition to expanding the number of concerts, theatrical productions, comedy performances and special events it produces annually, Arts Bonita has broadened its repertoire to include blues, bluegrass, country, cabaret, Latin music, Southern rock, tribute performances, comedy, jazz, and American roots music.
Arts Bonita regularly brings nationally recognized artists and legendary performers to Southwest Florida while continuing to support and showcase resident artists and regional talent.
Residency program
Ushe is also proud of the steps Arts Bonita has taken to establish a growing residency program that supports the region’s talented musicians, performers, and visual artists. She believes that investing in resident artists is essential to building an authentic cultural landscape unique to Southwest Florida — one rooted not only in presenting nationally recognized talent, but also in cultivating and elevating the extraordinary artists who live and create within the community itself.
Transformational education and homeschool programs
Arts Bonita has simultaneously expanded and transformed its education programs over the past three years. For example, it launched a successful homeschool program that creates a structured arts education pathway for homeschool families throughout the region. The program provides students with access to professional instruction in visual arts, theater, dance, music, and digital arts while fostering creativity, collaboration, and artistic development.
Arts Bonita also introduced the Faculty Chair Initiative, an innovative program designed to strengthen educational offerings by empowering leading instructors and artists to build specialized programs within their disciplines. The initiative established faculty leadership positions focused on curriculum development, mentorship, community outreach, and program expansion. These faculty chairs have helped elevate the quality and reputation of Arts Bonita’s educational programming while creating long-term sustainability and artistic excellence across departments.
The growth of its Off the Walls fundraising event has also significantly expanded Arts Bonita’s ability to provide scholarships, strengthen educational outreach programs, support underserved students and families, and invest in future programming initiatives.
The organization’s strategic partnerships with organizations such as New Horizons, Café of Life, Guadalupe Center, and local Title I schools, and expanded access to arts education throughout the region have empowered Arts Bonita to provide scholarships, arts instruction, and creative opportunities to thousands of children.
Stone carving and metal arts
Highly regarded throughout the region, if not the entire state, Arts Bonita’s stone carving and metal arts programs are helping drive future campus expansion initiatives. They also recently prompted a transformational $4 million pledge toward the development of a new sculpture studio, further positioning Arts Bonita as a leading destination for visual arts education and multidisciplinary artistic training in Southwest Florida.
Looking ahead
Looking ahead, Arts Bonita continues to advance long-term plans for campus expansion and institutional growth, including the development of a new sculpture studio, comprehensive master planning initiatives for both campuses, expanded educational programming, and new community partnerships designed to further strengthen Arts Bonita’s impact throughout Southwest Florida.
Arts Bonita is a vibrant cultural hub dedicated to enriching the lives of Southwest Florida residents through the arts. Offering a wide range of performances, educational programs, and exhibitions, Arts Bonita supports the region's cultural vitality while fostering the growth and development of local talent. Through community outreach initiatives, the organization provides arts education to underserved populations and grants college scholarships to emerging artists. Arts Bonita’s mission is to make the arts accessible to all and to inspire creativity and connection within the community.
Support for WGCU’s arts & culture reporting comes from the Estate of Myra Janco Daniels, the Charles M. and Joan R. Taylor Foundation, and Naomi Bloom in loving memory of her husband, Ron Wallace.
