Above, Knight Arts Challenge Miami winner Ranjana Warier showcases Indian dance through the adaptation of Western fairytales.

Are you ready? Starting April 4, the Knight Arts Challenge will open for applications, offering a share of $8 million to the best ideas for the arts in Miami, Detroit, St. Paul and Akron.

via GIPHY

There are a few things new about the arts challenge this year: For the first time, all four challenge cities will submit ideas during one application period: April 4 – May 2, 2016.

Also, we’re answering your questions in more ways this year, through Community Conversations with Knight staff and past grantees, in addition to office hours, where we offer one-on-one feedback about your application. The list of Miami events is up on our site; check it out and RSVP so we know you’re coming. We’ll post the community events for Detroit, St. Paul and Akron as soon as they are finalized.

One thing, though, remains the same. We still have just three simple rules for submissions, and they are:

1.     The idea must be about arts.

2.     The project has to take place in or benefit the community in which the challenge is based (i.e. Akron, Detroit, Miami or St. Paul).

3.     You must find other funding to match the Knight Foundation grant.

The Plume Project from St Paul Communications Services on Vimeo.

In each challenge, we look for ideas that authentically reflect your city. What’s an arts project that is unique to Akron? That could only happen in Miami? That is born of Detroit’s history or reflects St. Paul’s many cultures?

Our past winners have answered those questions. In Miami, we have funded an artist residency on a boat that explores climate change; in Detroit, a  community celebration trying to stoke a resurgence of the city’s ’70s dance craze the Jit; in St. Paul, a group of artists have brought new attention to the city’s steam plant with a public light art project.

The Plume Project from St Paul Communications Services on Vimeo.

Keep an eye on knightarts.org, and follow #knightarts and @knightfdn on Twitter and Instagram, and Knight Foundation on Facebook for more info.

Marika Lynch is a communications consultant for Knight Foundation.