{"id":332633,"date":"2022-09-12T05:45:00","date_gmt":"2022-09-12T09:45:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/knightfoundation.org\/?post_type=press-release&p=332633"},"modified":"2022-09-12T15:53:28","modified_gmt":"2022-09-12T19:53:28","slug":"knight-foundation-doubles-down-on-its-commitment-to-community-and-the-arts-in-akron-with-an-investment-of-more-than-31-million","status":"publish","type":"press-release","link":"https:\/\/knightfoundation.org\/press\/releases\/knight-foundation-doubles-down-on-its-commitment-to-community-and-the-arts-in-akron-with-an-investment-of-more-than-31-million\/","title":{"rendered":"Knight Foundation doubles down on its commitment to community and the arts in Akron with an investment of more than $31 million"},"content":{"rendered":"
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The investments will boost Akron\u2019s civic and economic growth by transforming the University of Akron\u2019s Polsky Building into a downtown asset and strengthening steady state funding for arts organizations that support local artists. <\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>

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AKRON, OH \u2014 <\/strong>As <\/strong>Akron continues its evolution into a vibrant community with a thriving downtown, the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation is investing over $31 million to transform and rename the University of Akron\u2019s Polsky Building into a hub for civic engagement and in support of key arts organizations and initiatives that empower local artists. <\/p>\n<\/div>

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The University of Akron<\/strong> will receive $20 million to renovate the Polsky Building, to be renamed after the Akron-born Knight brothers, where the school will relocate academic and community programs for the benefit of Akron\u2019s residents and members of the university community. Akron Art Museum<\/strong> will receive $7 million to incorporate digital and technical infrastructure, ArtsNow<\/strong> will receive $1 million to support the Akron Cultural Plan and the National Center for Choreography<\/strong> will use $1.5 million to establish the NCC Akron Choreography Prize. Additionally, Knight is allocating $1 million for a future Knight New Work Akron<\/strong> call for proposals in support of Akron-based artists using tech in their practice, and $750,000 for the Knight Digital Transformation Fund<\/strong>, a second open call to help local artists with operational technology. <\/p>\n<\/div>

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\u201cReal change in community is made possible by long-term commitment and clear-eyed vision,\u201d said Alberto Ibarg\u00fcen<\/strong>, president and CEO of Knight Foundation. \u201cSince our founding in 1950, we\u2019ve been committed to building a city of Akron where social and economic opportunities abound because all residents have a voice and are bound together by art and a culture of community. This latest set of investments is testament to our belief in Akron\u2019s future.\u201d <\/p>\n<\/div>

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Here\u2019s a closer look at Knight\u2019s investments: <\/p>\n<\/div>

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Revitalizing the downtown and the new Knight Building<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/div>

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Built in the 1930s, the Polsky Building is a former department store that has been owned and operated, for educational purposes, by the University of Akron since 1987. It is adjacent to Lock 3 Park, the Akron Civic Theatre, the Knight Stage and a revitalized Main Street corridor, all of which have greatly contributed to Akron\u2019s ongoing improvements. Knight Foundation has been an active, anchor investor in that revitalization. <\/p>\n<\/div>

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A total of $20 million from Knight will be used by the university to open the interior of the building to invite people into a new and dynamic space. The funds will create space for entrepreneurship, community collaboration, artistic performances and learning. The building will be fully equipped with state-of-the-art technology.<\/p>\n<\/div>

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The redesigned building will be renamed after the Akron-born Knight brothers and will align directly with the university\u2019s strategy to reorient its campus toward downtown, significantly increasing the community\u2019s ties with the university and helping reshape the core of the city.<\/p>\n<\/div>

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\u201cThis investment will transform a dormant building into a vibrant gateway that opens the university to Main Street,\u201d said Kyle Kutuchief<\/strong>, director of Knight\u2019s program in Akron. \u201cAs a University of Akron graduate, I have seen firsthand how the school is committed to the community. The new building, named after the foundation, will be yet another step in reinvigorating Akron, becoming a great civic asset for downtown and fostering more collaboration between the university and residents.\u201d  <\/p>\n<\/div>

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Akron: Building through the arts<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/div>

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Knight\u2019s new investments in Akron arts will allocate over $11 million to three local arts organizations and two open calls that fund artistic creation and tech integration. These multiyear grants in Akron will build and strengthen a foundation for further development, increase capacity and enable artists and arts organizations to strengthen ties to their communities, fostering meaningful connections between people and place\u2014an integral component of Knight\u2019s arts strategy<\/a>. <\/p>\n<\/div>

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The arts investments consist of: <\/p>\n<\/div>

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