Knight Foundation Seeks the Best Ideas for the Arts in South Florida with Arts Challenge

On Feb. 1, the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation will launch the second round of the Knight Arts Challenge, a community-wide contest to fund the best art ideas in South Florida. The deadline for applications is 9 a.m. March 2.

The Challenge, part of a five-year, $40 million initiative, aims to help transform South Florida by bringing the community together through the arts.

Last year, Knight Foundation awarded $8 million to 31 groups - such as sculptors, musicians, prominent institutions and recently formed galleries. The winning ideas included creating a two-year, fellow residency for up-and-coming artists run by the University of Miami and housed in the Design District; a Haitian jazz series; and little league-like network of children's choirs serving disadvantaged neighborhoods.

"The arts build ties that bind neighbor to neighbor, allowing us the shared experiences that build a great community," said Alberto Ibargüen, president and CEO of Knight Foundation. "We're looking for ideas that will enrich and inspire South Florida."

Close to $4 million will be awarded this year. Have an idea? Visit www.knightarts.org. The two-question application is designed to be simple to attract applicants who aren't traditional grant seekers.

There are only three rules: The idea is about the arts; The project takes place in or benefits South Florida; And applicants must find other funding to match the Knight Foundation grant. Individuals, organizations and businesses are eligible to apply.

Winners will be notified in June and will have until November to raise the matching funds for their projects. A formal announcement will take place in December.

The Challenge builds on the momentum in the local arts community. It includes $20 million in endowment grants to three leading arts institutions.
The endowments fund an art education program at Miami Art Museum that will welcome 40,000 Miami-Dade school students a year; a series of exhibitions by emerging artists at the Museum of Contemporary Art; and a new media program at New World Symphony that allows performers and audiences to share real-time experiences with other artists around the world through digital technology.

For more about the Knight Arts Challenge (formerly called the Knight Arts Partnership), visit
www.KnightArts.org.