The Miami-based John S. and James L. Knight Foundation has announced the launch of the Knight Arts Partnership, which will support arts organizations in South Florida and establish an open-invitation community challenge seeking new ideas and matching gifts.

The foundation has committed $40 million to the initiative, including three grants totaling $20 million to establish leadership endowments for the Miami Art Museum ($10 million), Museum of Contemporary Art ($5 million), and the New World Symphony ($5 million). These grants will be used to establish the Knight School Education Series at MAM, the Knight Exhibition Series at MCA, and the Knight New Media Endowment at the symphony.

In addition, the foundation has pledged $20 million over five years for a community challenge open to individuals and organizations with new ideas for arts projects in the region, which are to be submitted through the Arts Partnership Web site. For approved projects, each dollar from the Knight Foundation must be matched by other funders.

The Knight Arts Partnership is expected to add momentum to the burgeoning South Florida arts scene. In the past twenty-five years, the number of arts institutions has risen from one hundred to more than twelve hundred. The foundation estimates that during the past year grants of more than $250 million were awarded to arts organizations in the region, which supported efforts such as the expansion of MCA and a new building for MAM.

"Few areas in life offer the kinds of participation and shared experiences the way the arts do," said Knight Foundation president and CEO Alberto Ibargüen. "We believe there are many...other leaders, other organizations, [and] individuals with big ideas, and the community challenge is incentive for all of them."