An Ideas Contest: Lessons from the Knight Arts Challenge Miami

Monday, October 15, 4:00pm – 5:30pm

Organized by Adrian Ellis, director, AEA Consulting; Mayur Patel, VP/strategy & assessment, John S. and James L. Knight Foundation; Dennis Scholl, VP/arts, John S. and James L. Knight Foundation.

The Knight Arts Challenge Miami is $20M five-year contest designed to recognize the best and most innovative ideas from local organizations and individuals seeking to transform the arts. The contest aims to strengthen Miami’s cultural development and celebrate the city’s diversity by embracing the unpredictable and diffuse nature of artistic innovation. The panel will discuss the results of an interim assessment of the Challenge’s impact to date and tease out key lessons learned about the role of contests in supporting a community’s cultural development. The session will also explore the pros and cons of this approach and its implications on grantmaking in the cultural sector.