Funding Arts Broward Announces FAB/Knight 'New Work' Project Winners

The South Florida arts and cultural scene is enhanced with talent through three innovative, high quality art projects this Season, provided by Funding Arts Broward's FAB/Knight New Work Award. The three winners are The Coral Springs Museum of Art ($50,000) for a CSMART Digital Art Lab and Symposium; The Art and Culture Center of Hollywood ($20,000) for the exhibition Dave Muller: Too Old to Rock 'n Roll with Three Day Weekend; and NSU Museum of Art Fort Lauderdale ($20,000) for the exhibition, Research and Development: Concerning Belonging.

With the help of a three-year $150,000 grant from the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation and matching funds, Funding Arts Broward is proud to be able to put greater resources in the hands of eight artistic organizations to raise the bar for creative production in South Florida.

"We fund ideas ...from people with the vision, tenacity, courage, know-how to seem them through," says Dennis Scholl, Vice President, Arts for Knight Foundation. "Funding Arts Broward exemplifies our goals and we are pleased to see this project come to fruition."

Each project this year is detailed and diverse, with much attention given to planning and artistry as well as execution, reflecting the creation of presenting artworks of the highest merit.

In NSU Museum of Art Fort Lauderdale's Research and Development: Concerning Belonging, South Florida artists undertake collaborative projects with homeless residents of Broward County, a critical issue of community concern. With the project management of artist/designer Luke Jenkins, who thought it important for museum visitors to understand the different ways that art can heal social problems, the homeless residents of Broward have been invited to share their stories through art, workshops and exhibitions.

"NSU Museum of Art Fort Lauderdale, together with Luke Jenkins and the artists, have the same mission with this project," says Bonnie Clearwater, Director of the Museum. "We aim to use the visual arts to approach one the most basic needs of human existence -- shelter and a sense of belonging."

The exhibition opened on Friday and runs through September 14.

Coral Springs Museum of Art's Digital Art Lab, which offers workshops led by nationally-recognized digital artists, is available to youth, families and practicing artists, throughout the fall season into March 2015. The genre of digital arts inspired thoughts on the relatively unchartered territory of this medium -- producing, exhibiting, collecting, and the workshops are designed to fill in the gaps in understanding about the creative potential of digital media today. In November, The Art and Culture Center of Hollywood brings the work of Los Angeles-based artist Dave Muller to Hollywood, in an exhibition that will enlist the public's participation as they share their own relationships with popular music.

In its third year, The FAB/Knight New Work Awards are a timely development in FAB!'s evolving growth and success. This unique award program was open to eligible FAB-funded groups and devised to enable Broward County's arts leaders to produce more ambitious projects and engage new audiences through creative marketing and free events. Intended as a catalyst to cultural presenters, it allows them the freedom to innovate and invest in the professional development of their creative personnel, to purchase necessary equipment, to collaborate with guest artists, and produce excellence. In May, jurors met to award the three exceptional non-profit arts and cultural organizations deserving of this year's honor, for bringing multi-talent and production expertise to Broward County. This year's jurors were Miami Art Museum Associate Curator Rene Morales and dancer, choreographer, and Coordinator of Performing Americans Program, National Performance Network, Elizabeth Doud. FAB is grateful to be a partner of the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation. For further information on FAB! and more details on each project, visit the fundingartsbroward.org or call 954-353-7673.

About FAB! - Since 2003, FAB! has awarded more than two million dollars to more than thirty arts organizations in Broward County. FAB!'s mission is to enrich the Broward County arts community by funding high quality Broward -based visual and performing arts programming. All FAB! activities are coordinated by volunteers who each make an annual donation; and share a common belief that art and culture in contemporary society transcends our individual differences and unite us in celebration of the human spirit..

About the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation - The Knight Foundation supports transformational ideas that promote quality journalism, advance media innovation, engage communities and foster the arts. The foundation believes that democracy thrives when people and communities are informed and engaged. For more information, visit www.knightfoundation.org.

Pictured: NSU Museum of Art Fort Lauderdale's Project, Research and Development: Concerning Belonging.

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