FUTURE PHILLY: Knight Arts Challenge winners rake in a collective $2.7 mil for new projects

The John S. and James L. Knight Foundation made a majorly anticipated announcement last night, one that has the potential to change the landscape of Philadelphia arts well into the future.

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FUTURE PHILLY: Knight Arts Challenge winners rake in a collective $2.7 mil for new projects

POSTED: Tuesday, May 10, 2011, 9:00 AM

Filed Under: Big Ups Arts News

Local choreographer Nichole Canuso won one of 36 Knight Arts Challenge prizes, awarded last night at the Philadelphia Museum of Art.

The John S. and James L. Knight Foundation — y'know, those names you hear every morning on WHYY along with John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur, et. al — made a majorly anticipated announcement last night, one that has the potential to change the landscape of Philadelphia arts well into the future.

The organization's Knight Arts Challenge Philadelphia, a contest open to anyone willing to answer the question "What's your best idea for the arts in Philadelphia?" with a project proposal, has dedicated $9 million over three years to any number of cultural organizations with a passion and a plan. Last night, 36 entrants — of more than 1,700 — were announced as first-year winners, and are collectively raking in $2.7 million to fund their projects. (Which, if you're doing your math, means Philly's set to receive more than $6 million more over the next two years.)

The winners are a diverse crowd — from big guns like the Barnes Foundation (introducing a new museum app) and the Mann Center (pairing up cultural icons with famous orchestras) to little guys like Mighty Writers (implementing a project on black Philadelphia radio) and the Kensington Kinetic Sculpture Derby. Their winnings are similarly varied: For this first round of projects, entrants have taken in anywhere from $7,000 (The Art Blog, for a First Friday "art safari") to $250,000 (Fairmount Park Art Association, for a public art event that uses roving searchlights).

So what's the catch? of the challenge's three rules (the other two being: the idea has to be about art, and must "take place in or benefit Philadelphia") is that winners must match their grants within a year. Which means that all of a sudden, folks like Nichole Canuso and Kathleen Bonanno (who've won $50,000 each) have got to get on the fundraising stick, STAT. (Lucky, then, that Canuso's annual benefit cabaret's happening on Friday, huh?)

What this all means is that you should expect to see big things happening in Philadelphia (and you thought PIFA was huge). After the jump, check out the complete list of winners, courtesy the Knight Foundation.

Dance and Music Enliven Seventh Street Plaza
Project: RAAMP It Up Wednesdays
Recipient: African American Museum in Philadelphia
Award: $45,000
To showcase local artists by presenting commissioned dance and gospel performances
through free weekly concerts at the museum’s Seventh Street Plaza.

Arab Music Promotes Cross-Cultural Understanding
Project: Arab Music Concert Series
Recipient: Al-Bustan Seeds of Culture
Award: $50,000
To promote cross-cultural understanding and appreciation for Arab music by creating a
unique concert series with a resident ensemble

African-, Asian- and Latin-American Cultures Celebrated Through Classical Music
Project: Spiritual Voyages Festival
Recipient: Astral Artists
Award: $35,000
To spotlight distinctive voices in classical music by celebrating composers who are
exploring their African-, Asian- and Latin-American cultures through their music

Mini-Performances Expand Cultural Experiences for Ballet Audiences
Project: eXpanding the eXperience of BalletX
Recipient: BalletX
Award: $13,000
To expand the cultural experience of ballet audiences with unexpected dance, comedy,
music and spoken word during BalletX’s seasonal performances

Museum Collection Goes Mobile With App and Printed Guide
Project: You CAN take it with you!
Recipient: The Barnes Foundation
Award: $120,000
To expand the reach of the foundation’s art collection by creating an app and a printed
guide that highlight and contextualize works

Audiences Get Hands-On Lessons in Conducting with Free Music Series
Project: iConduct!
Recipient: Black Pearl Chamber Orchestra
Award: $25,000
To engage audiences in classical music by creating a free summer series where participants
take part in fun, mini-conducting lessons in front of professional musicians and a live
audience

Free Performances and Films at City Hall
Project: City Hall Presents
Recipient: City of Philadelphia, Office of Arts, Culture and the Creative Economy
Award: $100,000
To strengthen City Hall’s role as a cultural center by presenting free music, theater, dance
and spoken word performances and film screenings in the building's indoor and outdoor
spaces

Dance Performances Travel to Public Places with Portable Floor
Project: A Portable Floor for Dance in Public Places
Recipient: Dance/USA Philadelphia
Award: $45,000
To bring live dance performances to broader audiences by making available a portable
dance floor that can be used by companies throughout the region at festivals and other
events

Artists Get Access to Specialized Tools and Training at Sculpture Gym
Project: Philadelphia Sculpture Gym
Recipient: Darla Jackson
Award: $20,000
To help Philadelphia sculptors create their works safely by creating a “sculpture gym”
where artists can use heavy-duty tools, have storage space and get one-on-one help with
projects

Festival Celebrates the Evolution of African Arts
Project: Dance Africa Philadelphia!
Recipient: District One Community Education Center
Award: $50,000
To celebrate the African arts by bringing the renowned festival Dance Africa to
Philadelphia

Public Art Lights Up the Night Sky
Project: Open Air
Recipient: Fairmount Park Art Association
Award: $250,000
To create a new kind of communal space through a world premiere public art event that
will transform the night sky with roving searchlights

Teens Gain Job Skills in Print Shop Program
Project: Fresh Artists Studio
Recipient: Fresh Artists
Award: $75,000
To engage inner city youth in the arts by creating a print studio with teen apprentices

Free Program for Students Inspires Life-Long Love of the Arts
Project: 10th Grade “Passport to the Arts”
Recipient: Greater Philadelphia Cultural Alliance
Award: $75,000
To inspire a life-long engagement with the arts by giving Philadelphia 10th graders free
admission to participating cultural institutions for one year

Art Festival Connects to Philadelphia’s Urban Landscape
Project: Hidden City Philadelphia Festival 2013
Recipient: Hidden City Philadelphia
Award: $100,000
To reconnect residents and visitors to Philadelphia’s urban landscape with an interactive
festival that commissions temporary, site-specific art projects at historic landmarks

Local Writers Develop and Share Their Works in Literary Center
Project: Musehouse: A Center for the Literary Arts
Recipient: Kathleen Bonanno
Award: $50,000
To promote the creation and appreciation of poetry, plays and performance works by
opening Musehouse: A Center for the Literary Arts in the city’s Mount Airy neighborhood

Live Music Connects Online With New Audiences
Project: Collaborative Connections
Recipient: LiveConnections.org
Award: $100,000
To illustrate how music connects cultures by commissioning innovative concerts for
Philadelphia’s World Café Live that will be simulcast to new audiences

Cultural Icons Pair Up With World-Renowned Orchestras
Project: Cross-Over Classical
Recipient: Mann Center for the Performing Arts
Award: $200,000
To attract new audiences to classical music by bridging genres and generations with a
Cross-Over Classical summer series in a relaxed outdoor setting

Audio Documentary and Website Explore the Legacy of Black Philadelphia Radio
Project: Sound and Fury
Recipient: Mighty Writers
Award: $50,000
To inspire community pride by creating Sound and Fury, an audio documentary,
interactive website and public panel discussions about the role of black Philadelphia radio
from the 1950s to the 1980s

Local Talent is Showcased at Kensington Kinetic Sculpture Derby
Project: Kensington Kinetic Sculpture Derby
Recipient: New Kensington Community Development Corporation
Award: $20,000
To strengthen the cultural and economic fabric of the Kensington community by
celebrating the talents of local artists at the annual Kensington Kinetic Sculpture Derby

Audiences Grow in a Garden of Art and Dance
Project: The Garden
Recipient: Nichole Canuso Dance Company
Award: $50,000
To broaden people’s understanding of art and dance by turning the audience into a
participant in an aural and visual performance journey called The Garden

Opera Comes to Independence Mall
Project: Opening Night Philadelphia
Recipient: Opera Company of Philadelphia
Award: $150,000
To unite Philadelphia in a celebration of arts and culture by displaying – on a giant video
screen at Independence Mall – the Opera Company of Philadelphia’s opening night
performance of Bizet’s Carmen

Spotlight Shines on Iconic Local Symbols in Short Film Competition
Project: Philadelphia Film Festival Short Film Competition
Recipient: Philadelphia Film Society
Award: $30,000
To promote Philadelphia’s film industry by organizing a contest where filmmakers
incorporate one of 20 iconic local symbols in a short film

Performance Artists Test Their Work in Monthly Salon Series
Project: The Live Arts Festival presents SCRATCH Night
Recipient: Philadelphia Live Arts Festival & Philly Fringe
Award: $50,000
To nurture emerging artists by creating a salon night in the festival’s new headquarters
where artists will present short excerpts of their work

World-renowned Street Artists Reinvent Neighborhood Tableaux
Project: Favelas to Philly
Recipient: Philadelphia Mural Arts Program
Award: $100,000
To help transform the urban landscape by hiring a world-renowned team of street artists to
develop a major project in Philadelphia

Audiences Get Real-Time Mobile Content During Orchestra Performances
Project: iNotes
Recipient: The Philadelphia Orchestra Association
Award: $150,000
To expand concert content and accessibility by creating smart phone apps that supply realtime
context about live performances

Festival Fosters New Play Development
Project: PTC@PLAY
Recipient: Philadelphia Theatre Company
Award: $75,000
To enhance Philadelphia’s reputation as a leader in the development of new plays by
producing an annual festival of new works

After-School Program Introduces Students to Orchestral Music
Project: Tune Up Philly
Recipient: Philadelphia Youth Orchestra
Award: $150,000
To immerse communities in orchestral music by providing daily after-school music
instruction and frequent community performances for elementary school students in
Southwest Philadelphia

Community Space Supports Young Writers With Workshops and Tutoring
Project: Philly Youth Poetry Movement
Recipient: Philadelphia Youth Poetry Movement
Award: $40,000
To nurture young residents through poetry by establishing a gathering space offering
cultural workshops, as well as homework tutoring and life-skills mentoring

Program for Contemporary Performing Arts Trains Actors and Directors
Project: The Pig Iron School for Advanced Performance Training
Recipient: Pig Iron Theatre Company
Award: $150,000
To strengthen the contemporary performing arts scene by launching a two-year training
program for actors and directors

Outdoor Performances Come to the Heart of Latino Philadelphia
Project: Cafe under the Stars: Spotlighting Arts in the Barrio
Recipient: Taller Puertorriqueño
Award: $75,000
To create personal cultural experiences that connect audiences across cultures by
producing a series of monthly outdoor performances in the heart of Latino Philadelphia

Public School Children Interact With Artists in After-School Program
Project: Arts Wide Open in North Philadelphia, Anchor of the Avenue of the Arts
Recipient: Temple Performing Arts Center
Award: $20,000
To involve public school children in the arts by exposing them to performances and having them interact with artists

A Video Tour of Philadelphia Galleries
Project: First Friday Art Safari, with Libby and Roberta
Recipient: theartblog.org
Award: $7,000
To introduce the art of Philadelphia’s geographically scattered galleries to a wider
audience through a series of monthly tours by van that will be videotaped for later airing

Actors Interact With Local Residents Through Traveling Talk Show
Project: Fill in the Blanks with Theatre
Recipient: Theatre Alliance of Greater Philadelphia
Award: $100,000
To expand participation in Philly’s theatrical arts by launching a new audience engagement
initiative that helps actors interact with residents in their everyday lives

Series Offers Audiences Access to Affordable, Top-Quality Theater
Project: a Play, a Pie and a Pint
Recipient: Tiny Dynamite Productions
Award: $25,000
To broaden theater audiences by producing a Play, a Pie and a Pint, a U.K. performance
phenomenon where residents can stop by after work to enjoy a one-act play, a pie and a
beverage for a low ticket price

Arts Series Presents Innovative National and International Artists
Project: Spectrum
Recipient: Vox Populi
Award: $40,000
To inspire the community by offering an innovative arts series, Spectrum, that crosses the
traditional boundaries of visual art, performance, music, film, video, dance and theater

Local Music Promoted With Web-Based Recordings
Project: Building Audiences for Philadelphia’s Vibrant Scene of Local Musicians
Recipient: WXPN Radio, University of Pennsylvania
Award: $50,000
To build audiences and appreciation for Philadelphia's vibrant music scene by creating a
virtual space for the local music community and producing a concert series and a collection
of web-based musical recordings and videos

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