Great art has the power to illuminate our stories, shaping our perception of what is real and giving light to what is possible. The arts create new narratives, whether through the written word, visual languages, music or the language of movement. These narratives provoke us to question our understanding of the world.

When poet Tom Healy called the Florida Freedom Writers to tell them he was donating $10,000 to the youth creative writing and performance group, he had a little trouble tracking them down. He finally reached the Miami Norwood High classroom of the group’s director, Precious Symonette. But, the student who answered the phone thought it was a prank call.

Arts and culture have been a centerpiece of Miami’s transformation for more than a decade. From the Art Basel art fair—a mecca for international curators and collectors—to several new world-class facilities, Miami has seen an explosion in artistic, creative and cultural activity since 2005.

Miami is a city of stories and storytellers. It always has been: from the oral traditions of the Tequesta and the fanciful myths that attracted faraway explorers, to the tale of Julia Tuttle’s orange blossoms, and the complex social drama that played out in the film “Moonlight.”

With so much music history running through Detroit’s DNA, increasing investment in local musical groups and artists, and a renaissance of new music-based organizations, I often wonder why do musicians regularly leave Detroit? Why does it lack a sustainable music economy where infrastructure and industry unite to create an environment for musicians to thrive creatively and financially?

Knight believes the arts have the power to inspire, challenge, bring wonder into our lives, and ultimately connect us to each other and the cities where we live. A thriving arts ecosystem requires talent and collaboration, as well as investment and community support. In charting the journey of arts in Detroit and supporting its growth, we hope to contribute to a stronger future for the city’s great art and artists.

In 2017, Knight Foundation began work with four museums to deepen their use of technology to attract and engage audiences. The museums—Pérez Art Museum Miami (PAMM), Akron Art Museum, The Institute of Contemporary Art Miami, and the Barnes Foundation—went through a year-long process to research, develop ideas, prototype and launch pilot technology projects.

What are the opportunities for technology in the arts – and what threats does it pose? Knight Foundation, which recently launched an open call for ideas to use technology to connect people to the arts, asked leaders to answer that question. Here, artist and researcher Mimi Onuoha talks about the possibilities the arts and tech offer to create new worlds.

What are the opportunities for technology in the arts – and what threats does it pose? Knight Foundation, which recently launched an open call for ideas to use technology to connect people to the arts, asked leaders to answer that question. Here, artist and author Ingrid Burrington offers her views on how the field, and its taxonomy, should evolve.

What are the opportunities for technology in the arts – and what threats does it pose? Knight Foundation, which recently launched an open call for ideas to use technology to connect people to the arts, asked leaders in the field to answer that question. Here, Nancy Baym, principal researcher at Microsoft Research, answers.

What are the opportunities for technology in the arts – and what threats does it pose? Knight Foundation, which recently launched an open call for ideas to use technology to connect people to the arts, asked leaders in the field to answer that question. Here, Jer Thorp, a data artist and innovator-in-residence at the Library of Congress, answers with his own, provocative inquiry.

Sometimes it is hard to find the poetry in technology. Though most people use technology as part of their daily life, the coldness of machines makes it easy to overlook the richness of human culture that flows through their circuits. 

Yet culture can move quickly, aided by our devices, whether it’s a virtual museum tour, a live-streamed concert or crowdsourced poetry. And we’re only at the beginning of this curve. Technology offers a myriad of opportunities for art, expanding how it challenges us, triggers reflection, awakens empathy and connects us to our communities. Innovations have the potential to provide arts organizations with new ways to connect with audiences and create deeply engaging experiences that inform and delight.

But how do we ensure that arts organizations, and artists themselves, take advantage of these opportunities, instead of lagging behind their audiences in the adoption of technology? 

Today, Knight Foundation is opening a call for ideas focused on this issue. It centers around a question:

How might cultural institutions use technology to connect people to the arts?

This year, Knight Foundation celebrates the 10th anniversary of the Knight Arts Challenge Miami, which funds the best ideas for bringing South Florida together through the arts. Below, writer Anne Tschida explores how Miami and its cultural scene has changed in that time.