DETROIT – (Nov. 10, 2014) – With the approval of the ‘Grand Bargain’ as part of Detroit’s bankruptcy plan of adjustment, Dennis Scholl of Knight Foundation has been appointed an observer of the Detroit Institute of Arts (DIA) Board of Directors. A leading cultural advocate for more than four decades, Scholl was appointed by the Foundation for Detroit’s Future (“FDF”) to represent the foundations that contributed more than $366 million to the Grand Bargain – funding that was later supplemented by the State of Michigan and the DIA to help preserve Detroit pensions, protect the DIA art collection and facilitate a swift resolution of the bankruptcy proceedings to benefit the entire region.
As outlined in Detroit’s bankruptcy plan of adjustment, Scholl will attend meetings of the DIA Board as an observer and report back to the FDF and through it, to foundation partners. The role allows the DIA to continue operating wholly independently while ensuring that the Grand Bargain is being properly implemented.
“I am grateful for the opportunity to serve as observer of the DIA Board of Directors, and look forward to working with the museum and foundation partners to implement the Grand Bargain efficiently, in line with legal requirements, and with transparency,” said Scholl. “Detroit’s world-class museum is truly a cultural treasure that strengthens local communities and attracts visitors. Its viability is essential to Detroit’s revitalization, and I am proud to play a role in preserving the museum for the people of Detroit and Michigan for generations to come.”
Scholl is vice president/Arts for Knight Foundation, where he oversees the foundation’s national arts program, including the Knight Arts Challenge and Random Acts of Culture. Previously, he was a practicing attorney and CPA. He and his wife Debra are well known collectors of contemporary art, and their willingness to experiment and encourage artists and curators to push boundaries is well known in the art world.
Scholl created a series of initiatives dedicated to building the contemporary art collections of museums, including the Guggenheim, the Tate Modern and the Perez Art Museum Miami, which resulted in hundreds of patron-funded art acquisitions. He has served on the boards and executive committees of the Aspen Art Museum, Museum of Contemporary Art, North Miami, the Perez Art Museum and the Linda Pace Foundation. Among his commendations, Scholl has been named three times to the annual WESTAF list of the Most Powerful and Influential Leaders in the Nonprofit Arts and, along with his wife, recently received the National Service Arts Award from the Anderson Ranch Art Center.
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The Foundation for Detroit’s Future (FDF) is a nonprofit affiliate of the Community Foundation for Southeast Michigan. FDF was created specifically to assist in Detroit’s emergence from bankruptcy and the restoration of the City’s economic and cultural vitality for the benefit of all residents of the City, region and state. Over 20 years, FDF will collect funds from participating foundations and others, and in turn make annual payments to the City for the ultimate support of the pension funds, as provided in the DIA Settlement (commonly referred to as the “Grand Bargain,” an agreement negotiated by Federal Mediators the Honorable Gerald Rosen and Eugene Driker).
Contact: Alex Edwards, [email protected], 810.986.0880