The Society of the Four Arts unveils another ambitious season, with Chief Operating Officer Sofia Vollmer Maduro sharing what’s ahead, from Degas, Carolina Herrera, and Ken Burns to Martin Parr’s first Palm Beach residency. Continuing to bridge tradition and innovation, this year’s program offers a rich, wide-ranging lineup for every audience.
You have a full program, which events are you most excited about?
This season truly captures the incredible breadth of what the Four Arts offers – from major exhibitions like Degas: The Private Impressionist and The Triumph of Nature: Art Nouveau from the Chrysler Museum of Art, to world-class performances, films, and HD broadcasts from the Met Opera and National Theatre. I’m also thrilled about our engaging library programs and thought-provoking Campus on the Lake series, which continue to inspire curiosity and community connection. It’s a season where art, music, literature, and learning all come together beautifully. I’m also especially excited about the continuation of our two series, Creating a Nation and Creating Legacies. We’re also honored to commission renowned British photographer Martin Parr for his first Palm Beach visit in February 2026. During a weeklong residency at The Society of the Four Arts, he will photograph the town and document our Galas with special access across campus. Known for his signature saturated color palette and wry social observation, Parr will bring a fresh lens to Palm Beach’s people and places. The project will yield a portfolio for our collection, and offer members a rare, firsthand encounter with a world-renowned photographer as he makes his Palm Beach debut.
How did you decide the overall direction of this year’s programming?
As I began planning this season, I was inspired by the upcoming 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence, coming up in 2026. With that milestone in mind, we continued our Creating a Nation series and a variety of “America at 250” programs that celebrate this historic moment. As part of our music offerings, for example, we’ll present a special festival with the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center, featuring works by American composers. The American soprano Angel Blue will make her debut at Four Arts and we have organized a jazz residency in April with jazz legend Wynton Marsalis. Beyond the anniversary, this season reflects broader themes of cultural history and global perspectives, human creativity and expression, and the intersections of art, literature, and philosophy, ideas that capture the spirit and breadth of the Four Arts. In our piano recital series, English pianist Paul Lewis explores Mozart, Debussy, and Poulenc, while Canadian virtuoso Louis Lortie offers an evening of storytelling with ballades by Fauré, Brahms, and Liszt. We’ll also welcome the Brentano, Danish, and Shanghai String Quartets for three stellar concerts, among many others musical guests this season.
Is there anything new you’d like to tell us about?
EVERY season at the Four Arts is new and unique, as the majority of our programs are tailor-made for our Palm Beach audience. This is really extremely rare in the world of performing arts and cultural centers.
The Contemporaries lecture series is particularly compelling this year, ranging from Max Esterson (a Palm Beach local on the F2 circuit), to documentary filmmaker, Eric Schlosser talking about the food we eat, and renowned Futurist, Edie Weiner sketching out the future of work in the AI era, followed by British conceptual photographer, Edmund Clark, whose work explores issues of censorship, surveillance and concepts that are hard to grasp in images.
Sofia Vollmer Maduro, Chief Operating Officer at The Society of the Four Arts
Ken Burns is a major highlight, how did that collaboration come about?
After years of trying to bring him to the Four Arts, we finally succeeded, thanks to the tenacity of our trustee, Amb. Bonnie McElveen-Hunter. And the timing couldn’t be better: he arrives fresh off the launch of his powerful new series, The American Revolution.
What’s your approach to balancing member benefits with public access?
All of our programs are open to the public, with members enjoying advance booking privileges. Because of the popularity of our programs and our tiered ticketing system, we encourage everyone, members and non-members alike, to reserve as early as they can. We treat the O’Keeffe Lecture Series slightly differently; initially seats are reserved for members, but we release limited tickets to the public nearer the event, if space allows.
How do you see the Society of the Four Arts’ role in the broader cultural landscape of the Palm Beach Community?
We see ourselves as both a cultural anchor and an open invitation to discovery within the Palm Beach community. Our mission has always been to make the arts accessible, relevant, and inspiring – to create experiences that connect people across generations and disciplines. Whether through exhibitions, performances, or educational programs at Campus on the Lake, we strive to engage curiosity and spark conversation. In many ways, the Four Arts serves as a bridge – between tradition and innovation, between local community and global ideas. We’re proud to contribute to the rich cultural fabric of Palm Beach by offering a place where art, music, literature, and learning all come together to nurture creativity and connection.
