Today, ArtPlace America, a nationwide initiative that puts the arts at the heart of community revitalization, announced $15.2 million in funding for new projects in 44 communities across the United States. We’re excited to see that arts leaders in seven of the communities where Knight invests – Miami, Philadelphia, St. Paul, San Jose, Macon, Detroit and [...]
Last week I had the good fortune of being asked to deliver the commencement address for the New World School of the Arts College. New World School of the Arts is a Miami-based, dual enrollment arts-centric institution that has been named one of the nation’s top 100 schools numerous times. Admission is by portfolio review [...]
Today, I’m excited to present the 66 finalists in the Miami Knight Arts Challenge. Our goal is to make it so that everywhere you go in South Florida, you have an encounter with art. In that vein, one of the things that excites us most about this group is their geographic diversity. They don’t just [...]
The old joke goes like this: A tourist stops a New Yorker on the street and asks “How do you get to Carnegie Hall?” The local pauses for a minute and then replies “practice, practice, practice…” Well, the world class Detroit Symphony Orchestra must have been practicing. They were in Carnegie Hall last night with [...]
This week, WPBT is showing a Knight Foundation-funded short film by Ronnie Rivera about the International Noise Conference. Founded by Frank Falestra, the conference is three days of experimental music. Ronnie has created an experimental film that he shot at the conference, the likes of which has never been seen on public TV – check [...]
Tonight, I’m at the Philadelphia Museum of Art, excited to announce the 43 winners of the Knight Arts Challenge Philadelphia. This year, we were once again delightfully surprised by Philadelphia’s creative minds. I think you’ll see why. In the winners, there are several interesting trends, including ideas that will: Make art more participatory – including a performance [...]
When we launched the Knight Arts Challenge in Detroit, we knew we loved the creativity of the city’s cultural community, the quality of work, the way artists are helping to shape the city’s future block by block. That’s why we were so excited to get an overwhelming response to the challenge. As of the Monday deadline, [...]
Today we begin accepting applications for funding through the Knight arts Challenge in Detroit, an idea that first bubbled up when I visited the city in 2010 as the new vice president for arts at Knight Foundation. I went to see what all the cultural buzz was about. I was floored. In my free time, I’m [...]
Last week I was fortunate to be invited to speak at the Knight-sponsored SphinxCon event. A gathering of national leaders in Detroit to discuss the issue of diversity in the arts. Speakers ranged from Delroy Lindo to Maria López De León, the director of NALAC. Knight Foundation National Arts Advisory Committee member and Sphinx founder Aaron [...]
We’re living in a time of incredible change. In 2011, the nation’s Hispanic population reached 52 million, an increase of 48% from 2000, according to a Pew Research Center analysis. Now more than ever we have the chance to engage our country’s diverse people in helping build more inclusive local arts and culture. To that [...]
