“Creativity takes courage.” Henri Matisse At Knight, we believe art and culture are at the core of community, connecting people to place and to each other. In response to what has been a very challenging year, I want to take a moment to highlight the artists and arts organizations in Knight cities who turned adversity […]
Article · December 17, 2020 by Victoria Rogers
Art has the power to connect us with each other, but that connection has been frayed in many communities for many years. For arts institutions across the United States, forming a strong connection to community was challenging before the COVID-19 pandemic and the renewed focus on racial justice. Now, institutions are struggling to not just […]
Article · September 11, 2020 by Victoria Rogers
Crises tend to accelerate trends that were already in motion. Prior to 2020, many arts organizations and funders recognized that arts institutions needed to change to remain relevant in their communities. However, this type of change was slow. Now, as a result of the pandemic and our current national racial reckoning, many organizations are suddenly […]
Article · September 11, 2020 by Victoria Rogers and Ashley Zohn
Today we are announcing $1.87 million in support to 12 art museums to explore new ways technology can connect people to art. These days, technology and digital communications permeate almost every corner of our lives, from the time we scroll through the morning’s newsfeed until we set an alarm on our phone to wake up […]
Article · May 18, 2017 by Victoria Rogers
Art critic JJ Charlesworth recently shared a sentiment that caught my attention, one I believe is important to any artist who works in and for their community: “If art’s engagement with society is to mean something credible, it’s time to have a conversation – to speak, and to listen.” He was commenting on what […]
Article · February 1, 2017 by Victoria Rogers
Who doesn’t like to experiment and have the opportunity to engage in binge watching? Would you do it around opera? At 4 p.m. ET on Monday, Jan. 9, I’ll be doing a Facebook Live interview with David Devan, president of Opera Philadelphia and the creative mind and driving force behind O Festival, which launches this […]
Article · January 5, 2017 by Victoria Rogers
Above: Inside|Out Detroit, courtesy of the Detroit Institute of Arts. I love having a chance encounter with art, especially in unexpected places. You turn a corner, or look around and see something that captures your attention because it’s so out of context. What is a framed piece of art doing out on a trail, on […]
Article · May 4, 2016 by Victoria Rogers
Today, Knight Foundation is announcing $2.5 million in support for Opera Philadelphia’s innovative, new opening festival. Below, Vice President for Arts Victoria Rogers explains why. Opera Philadelphia’s first “O,” a 12-day urban opera festival, debuts in September 2017, and I, for one, can’t wait. Think about the fun of binge-watching seven seasons of “West Wing,” all six […]
Article · January 14, 2016 by Victoria Rogers
In Sunday’s New York Times Elaine Glusac wrote, “The Miami area may once have craved culture, but new institutions, with more on the way, have helped it reach critical mass.” For any arts ecosystem to be successful, it needs a plethora of artists and makers, organizations both small and large, performing arts centers, buyers and […]
Article · November 30, 2015 by Victoria Rogers
Above top: Haleem Rasul of Hardcore Detroit, credit Leena Lee. Video: Acres of Diamonds, The Story of the Knight Arts Challenge in Detroit. As the lights were lowered in the performance hall of the Masonic Temple, a collective state of excitement took hold. The sound of a growing, rhythmic cadence filled the air. Seated with […]
Article · November 8, 2015 by Victoria Rogers
At Knight, our goal is not to just fund artistic excellence, but to seek out projects that authentically engage their communities. Each year, we fund projects big and small that experiment with ways to reach new audiences, and to keep the current ones wanting more. Today, I’m excited to share that we are funding 17 […]
Article · July 14, 2015 by Victoria Rogers