© 2024 WLRN
MIAMI | SOUTH FLORIDA
Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations

Knight Foundation Announces $37 Million In New Funding For Arts In Miami

Art Week starts with good news for South Florida. The John S. and James L. Knight Foundation announced on Monday $37 million in new funding for arts organizations in Miami.

Part of the new funding will ensure that the popular Knight Arts Challenge will continue every other year, starting in 2019. But most of the new funds will support the work of 22 existing local institutions.

The list of recipients includes household names like the Miami City Ballet ($3 million), Perez Art Museum ($3 million), and New World Symphony (2.5 million). It will provide new learning opportunities for artists through several arts residency programs and programs to foster artist's development -for example, through DASH/New World School of the Arts Travel Fund ($1 million)- and fund new initiatives within existing arts organizations like Locust Projects ($1 million),  O, Miami ($1.25 million), O Cinema ($1.5 million) and Friends of the Underline ($500,00) and fund the restoration of the Coconut Grove Playhouse ($2 millions), among other projects. 

You can see the complete list of recipients here

The commitment brings to $165 million the amount Knight Foundation has invested in the arts in Miami since 2005, following a two-tier strategy. Close to two-thirds of Knight’s investments have gone to arts institutions -with special attention to projects that foster engagement with the public-  and the remaining 1/3 has gone to 384 arts projects through the Knight Arts Challenge, which is open to all, including individual artists. 

Knight also announced on Monday the five winners of the inaugural Knight New Work Miami initiative, who will share $500,000 to create and perform original, groundbreaking works of theater, dance and music in Miami. You can see the full list of winners here

The announcement event at the Perez Art Museum Miami also honored 21 Knight Arts Champions, local leaders who have played key roles in building South Florida’s rich and diverse cultural community. You can see the full list here

 
“One hundred and sixty-five million dollars over a decade says we’re serious about this," said  Alberto Ibargüen, Knight Foundation president. "The latest $37 million says we’re delighted with the impact and are shifting focus more toward the middle-level arts organizations and with a much greater emphasis on the creation of art in the city.”

More On This Topic