Knight Foundation funds United States Artist Knight Fellows in the 26 Knight communities. The winners get a phone call from United States Artists and are told that they’ve won a $50,000 grant, no strings attached.  Many use it to advance their artistic practice, some use it for health care and basic living needs. The Knight Fellows receive an additional $5000 to do a community engagement project in their community.

This year, Boulder, Colorado resident and United States Artist Knight Fellow Michelle Ellsworth sent me a great video of an urban development project she was invited to participate in with the City of Boulder. The video reminds me of why I love artists so much, as they look at the world in a very different way!!

And kudos to the City of Boulder for inviting an artist into the conceptualization process early! This kind of “citizen artist” opportunity is one we should all strive for.