Knight Arts Challenge Philadelphia

Full-service Communications and Marketing for Knight Arts Challenge Philadelphia, an innovative three-year, $9 million arts initiative

Dream Big & Give Us Your Best Idea for the Arts!

The John S. and James L. Knight Foundationis now accepting applications for the second year of the Knight Arts Challenge Philadelphia from today through Oct. 31.  The three-year, $9 million community-wide contest seeks the most innovative ideas in the arts to engage and enrich Philadelphia’s communities.

In the Challenge’s first year, Knight Foundation awarded $2.7 million to 36 winners representing a broad spectrum of the community – from individual artists and artist-driven organizations to some of the city’s premier cultural institutions.

Anyone can enter the Knight Arts Challenge Philadelphia –independent artists and artist collectives of all types, businesses, established arts institutions, service organizations and any individual who has a great idea for the arts. The initial two-question application – available now at KnightArts.org – is designed to be simple to encourage applicants who are not traditional grant seekers.

There are only three rules for the Challenge:
1) The idea must be about the arts.
2) The project must take place in or benefit Philadelphia.
3) The grant recipients must find funds to match Knight’s commitment (within a year).

Knight Foundation supports transformational ideas that promote quality journalism, advance media innovation, engage communities and foster the arts. We believe that democracy thrives when people and communities are informed and engaged. For more, visit www.knightfoundation.org.

55 Finalists Named in 2012 Knight Arts Challenge Philadelphia

PHILADELPHIA – Jan. 10, 2012– The John S. and James L. Knight Foundation has announced the finalists for the second year of the Knight Arts Challenge Philadelphia. The 55 finalists – which include individual artists, artist collectives, community groups, music organizations and theater companies – offered a wide array of innovative ideas, rising above a field of 1,267 applicants.

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Black Pearl Chamber Orchestra's iConduct!Photo by Edward Savaria Jr.
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Artist Darla Jackson
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FPAA's GPS Intersect/Open Air by artist Rafael Lozano-Hemmer.Photo by Rafael Lozano-Hemmer
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Kensington Kinetic Sculpture Derby.Photo by Sean Bolton
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head shotDennis Scholl, VP/Arts, Knight Foundation
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Press Mentions

63 Knight Foundation finalists named

Phrequency

Congratulations to the first round of Knight Arts Challenge finalists. This three-year, $9 million initiative will fund what they consider to be the greatest ideas for the arts in Philly. The 63 finalists below were chosen from 1,752 applicants.

The challenge includes three rules. The idea must be art related, must take place in or benefit Philly, and the winner must find the funds to match the original grand within a year. Finalists include Indy Hall, WXPN, Philly Fringe, Vox Populi, and more.

Grant promotes creative thinking

Philadelphia Tribune

When the citywide Knight Arts Challenge opened to the Philadelphia arts community, a record-breaking 1,752 people responded. Last week, 63 finalists were named for their best idea for the arts in Philadelphia. In fact, Philadelphians set a record for number of submissions in a single year for the challenge that originated in Miami in 2008.

The challenge is a new three-year, $9 million initiative to fund the best ideas for the arts in Philadelphia. Building on the momentum of the city’s vibrant arts scene, the Knight Arts Challenge seeks out innovative projects to inspire and enrich Philadelphia’s communities by asking one simple question: What’s your best idea for the arts in Philadelphia?

Knight Foundation grants draw artists of every stripe

WHYY, newsworks

The Knight Foundation dangled money in front of Philadelphia, and a record number of Philadelphians rose up to grab it.

More than 17,000 applications came in from people vying for a piece of the $9 million fund offered by the Knight Arts Challenge.

Most grant-giving foundations are available only to approved nonprofits, but the Knight Arts Challenge was structured to be as open as possible. Anybody — be it a nonprofit, for-proft or individual — was eligible, so long as they could articulate an art project in 150 words.

BIG UPS: Knight Arts Challenge finalists are diverse, progressive and generally awesome

Citypaper

Last night the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation (you know, the one that sponsors, like, everything on WHYY?) announced its 63 finalists in the Knight Arts Challenge Philadelphia, which gives a total of $9 million over three years to those with progressive ideas in the Philly arts world. Oh, and 1,752 folks applied, so this is a pretty prestigious step.


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