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Knight Foundation programs seek to leverage the potential of technology innovation to engage the public in new and powerful ways.

Knight Arts Challenge grant application workshop this June in FAT Village

Broward County artists are encouraged to attend the Knight Arts Challenge application workshop at the FAT Village FAR Gallery on June 27th at 6:30pm. REGISTER HERE Knight Foundation funds great art because it builds community,…


Broward County artists are encouraged to attend the Knight Arts Challenge application workshop at the FAT Village FAR Gallery on June 27th at 6:30pm. REGISTER HERE

Knight Foundation funds great art because it builds community, bringing people together in a literal sense—gathering audiences at events and exhibitions—and in a figurative sense, wherein gaining a shared understanding.

Every year, the Knight Arts Challenge welcomes ideas from across diverse communities and in every genre. Winners receive financial support, as well as public exposure and professional skill-building. A project of the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation, the challenge is now in its eleventh year in south Florida, and has awarded $32 million, supporting 384 arts ideas since its inception in 2008. The 2019 Knight Art Challenge opens for applications on June 24 and the deadline for submissions is 11:59 p.m. ET on July 26.

Applicants can get more detailed information on the challenge, and tips for applying, by attending informational events with Knight staff around South Florida. These workshops and informational sessions include community conversations, where Knight staff will offer insights and take questions, plus office hours where applicants can meet one-on-one with Knight Arts Director Priya Sircar and Program Officer Adam Ganuza to receive feedback on their ideas. Applicants can register online for kick-off events here.

“The Knight Arts Challenge is part of the evolution of Miami as a center for great art and culture. We look forward to adding new voices and ideas to the mix as we help to bring art to life throughout South Florida.”

Victoria Rogers, Knight Foundation Vice President for Arts

The application is user-friendly to encourage participation from individual artists, collaboratives and organizations that may never have applied for a grant. Just half of challenge winners are nonprofits; 32 percent have never won a grant before and half have a budget of less than $100,000.

Knight is not prescriptive in its approach, only looking for high-quality arts projects that demonstrate novelty and perspectives that are authentic to each community. All it takes to apply is a great arts idea and 150 words. Visit kf.org/kac for more application details.

There are only three rules for submissions:

1) The idea must be for an arts project.

2) The project must take place in South Florida, from Palm Beach to the Keys.

3) You must find other funding to match Knight Foundation’s grant.

Since 2008, arts ideas that represent the broad variety of disciplines and practitioners working in the city have been realized through the challenge. These include: On the Hook, a project that tells the stories of the Key West liveaboard community, boat dwellers who anchor in the shallows off Key West; BlackFlorida, which documents black community life through photography and innovative media platforms; and Make Music Miami by Buskerfest, a celebration of international Make Music Day that includes performances and activities in public spaces throughout the city augmented by interactive technology.

In addition, many challenge projects have grown from ideas into community institutions, including the independent O Cinema, which recently received major funding from Knight to establish a permanent location in the city; the Light Box at Goldman Warehouse, a hub for the arts in Wynwood; and Miami Music Project, which offers high-quality music instruction to low-income students in four neighborhoods.

In December 2018, Knight Foundation announced a $37 million investment to further strengthen the arts in south Florida, including a recommitment to the Knight Arts Challenge.

Finalists will be announced this summer, and winners in the fall.

For updates, follow #knightarts and @knightfdn on TwitterInstagram and Facebook.