Miami, Sept. 24, 2012 – Starting today, South Floridians can decide which of five up-and-coming organizations should receive $20,000 as part of the first Knight Arts Challenge People’s Choice Award.
To vote, watch the nominees’ videos at KnightArts.org/peopleschoice and then text to support your favorite.
The nominees are: 6th Street Dance Studio, a nonprofit studio in Little Havana, Arts Garage, a cultural hub in Palm Beach, FUNDarte, producing multicultural exhibits and performances, LAB Miami, a co-working space at the intersection of art and business, and Urgent, Inc., working in part with the arts to revitalize urban communities.
Now in its fifth year, the Knight Arts Challenge is a community-wide contest for the best ideas for the arts. Sponsored by the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation, the challenge has invested $17 million in projects that help bring South Florida together through culture.
This year, as a way of bringing more attention to smaller groups, Knight Foundation is asking the public to vote by text for their favorite of the five. The group that receives the most votes will get $20,000 in unrestricted funds to use for a project.
Each People’s Choice nominee is a finalist in the 2012 Knight Arts Challenge and is still eligible for a challenge grant. Winners of both the challenge and the People’s Choice Award will be announced Dec. 3.
“So much of the exciting art in South Florida is at the ground level. We want to make sure everybody knows about these groups and the work they are doing to engage people through the arts,” said Dennis Scholl, Knight Foundation’s vice president/ arts.
“The five People’s Choice nominees bring credence to the idea that Miami is a place where ideas are built. Our collective creativity is limitless,” said Matt Haggman, Miami program director for Knight Foundation.
Voting by text is open through Oct. 22, 2012.
Find out more at KnightArts.org/peopleschoice.
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. We believe that democracy thrives when people and communities are informed and engaged. For more, visit www.knightfoundation.org.
Contact:
Andrew Sherry, Vice President/Communications, (305) 908-2677, media@knightfoundation.org