Knight Foundation to hold $1.5M arts contest for St. Paul

The Knight Foundation on Wednesday announced a $1.5 million competition for arts and culture projects to benefit St. Paul, part of an $8 million grant in arts funding the foundation awarded the city in January.

"We're looking for new, innovative, authentically St. Paul ideas that can help engage the community," said Dennis Scholl, arts vice president for the Knight Foundation, of the Knight Arts Challenge.

The only rules are that the idea must be about the arts, the project must take place in St. Paul or benefit the city, and grant recipients must find matching funds within a year.

Six information sessions will be held this month on the contest. Unless noted, all will be in St. Paul:

• April 13, Dayton's Bluff Recreation Center, 800 Conway St., 2 p.m.

• April 13, Bedlam Lowertown, 213 E. 4th St., 6 p.m.

• April 14, Intermedia Arts, 2822 Lyndale Av. S., Minneapolis, 6 p.m.

• April 15, Neighborhood House, 179 E. Robie St., 6 p.m.

• April 16, Penumbra Theatre, 270 N. Kent St., 6 p.m.

Individuals, businesses and groups can apply beginning Monday at KnightArts.org. The contest deadline is May 5.

Of Knight's $8 million arts grant, $3.5 million was awarded to five arts groups: the St. Paul Chamber Orchestra, TU Dance, Penumbra Theatre, the Ordway Center and Springboard for the Arts. The remaining $4.5 million will go to challenge grant winners over the next three years.