Miami, FL (October 6, 2014) The CINTAS Foundation announced that it will provide a full fellowship for visual artists of Cuban descent for the next five years with a new gift of $75,000 from the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation.
“With this generous donation, Knight Foundation has made it possible for the CINTAS Foundation to expand the support for the rich heritage of Cuban arts for the enjoyment of all,” said CINTAS Foundation President Hortensia E. Sampedro.
The awards will be known as the CINTAS Knight Fellowship in the Visual Arts.
The first Knight Award will be granted to the winner of the 50th Jubilee CINTAS Foundation Fellowship Competition in Visual Arts on October 10, 2014. Encompassing painting, sculpture, installation art, photography, video and the media arts, artists present their work and propose yearlong projects for the fellowship. A national panel of experts from each artistic discipline reviews the artistic merits of the work presented in each field, acknowledging creative accomplishements.
“The CINTAS Foundation helps foster the next generation of talent by providing recognition and funding to emerging artists at a critical time in their artistic development,” said Dennis Scholl, vice president of arts for Knight Foundation.
Since 1963, the CINTAS Foundation has awarded more than 185 fellowships in visual arts. Past Visual Arts Fellows include Andrés Serrano, Carlos Alfonso, Félix Gonzáles Torres, María Martínez Cañas, Teresita Fernández and Carmen Herrera, among many others.
About the CINTAS Fellowship Program
The CINTAS Fellowship Program is administered by the Cintas Foundation Board and the Miami Dade College’s (MDC) Museum of Art + Design.
The CINTAS Fellowship Program encourages creative development in architecture, literature, music composition and the visual arts. The Foundation was established with funds from the estate of Oscar B. CINTAS (1887-1957), the former Cuban ambassador to the United States, a prominent industrialist and patron of the arts. In June of 2011, the CINTAS Foundation entered into an extended loan to MDC’s Museum of Art + Design of the CINTAS Fellows Collection, comprised of nearly 300 pieces by artists of Cuban descent living outside Cuba who have received prestigious CINTAS Fellowships, awarded since 1963. www.cintasfoundation.org
About the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation
Knight Foundation supports transformational ideas that promote quality journalism, advance media innovation, engage communities and foster the arts. The foundation believes that democracy thrives when people and communities are informed and engaged. For more, visit KnightFoundation.org.
Contact: Anusha Alikhan, Communications Director, Knight Foundation, [email protected], 305-908-2677