The John S. and James L. Knight Foundation
We are a national foundation with local roots. We choose, as the Knight brothers chose, to focus on journalism and communities, inspiring and enabling them to reach their highest potential. We make grants in the pursuit of transformational change.
And here, in our home community, we believe the local arts world is at a tipping point, where the conditions are just right for a real transformation.
The Knight Arts Challenge
We’ve committed $40 million to support arts in Miami-Dade and Broward counties. Why?
In a community as diverse as Miami – 75 percent of us weren’t born here and 50 percent weren’t born in this country – we need things that bring us together. The arts are an excellent way to do that; they provide access to all to see themselves reflected in cultural expression.
In a generation we’ve gone from about 100 to more than 1,600 arts organizations in the region. The Adrienne Arsht Center is a new jewel of performing arts centers, home to world-class presenters. Art Basel Miami, the Film Festival and the Book Fair all make Miami an international destination. World-class architects are leading the development of hundreds of thousands of square feet of new cultural space. Private donors including Knight have infused some $270 million in pledges to local arts in a short time. It’s building to a critical mass, and the Knight Arts Partnership aims to fan the flames. And you can participate.
The first part of the Knight Arts Challenge is $20 million in three major leadership gifts to the New World Symphony, the Miami Art Museum and the Museum of Contemporary Art.
The additional $20 million come in the form of a challenge to the community in grants over five years to individuals or organizations whose ideas will help transform our community through the arts. Each dollar Knight Foundation commits to this community challenge will have to be matched by another funding source, adding up to a total of $40 million.
Ready to apply?