Cultured magazine profiles Kristina Newman-Scott, the newly appointed Vice President for Arts at the Knight Foundation, ahead of Miami Art Week. Newman-Scott, a former practicing artist who led Connecticut's Office of the Arts and State Historic Preservation Office, discusses her career journey and her vision for integrating culture into community development. The article also highlights Maribel Pérez Wadsworth, Knight's President and CEO since 2023, and the foundation's $485 million investment in arts and culture over the past two decades.
This profile matters because it underscores the Knight Foundation's growing role as a critical funder of the arts amid declining federal support. Newman-Scott's background in government and her emphasis on artists as local entrepreneurs and community builders reflect a strategic shift toward using culture to address broader societal challenges like climate change and housing. The interview, tied to the ECOLOGIES dialogue series during Miami Art Week, positions the foundation as a key player in shaping how art intersects with civic life.