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MEDIA: Victoria Cervantes
305-375-4141
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
December 1, 2014
HistoryMiami LAUNCHES PHOTOGRAPHY CENTER focused on engaging the community in documenting life in South Florida
MIAMI, FL –HistoryMiamiwill create a Center for Photography at the museum to collect and preserve images, and develop exhibitions that engage the community in exploring life in South Florida, all thanks to funding from the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation.
The foundation’s Knight Arts Challenge has awarded $150,000 (payable over 3 years) to HistoryMiami to establish this center. The Knight Foundation’s Knight Arts Challenge funds ideas that bring South Florida together through the arts.
"Few things bring people together like the arts. We’re excited by the possibilities HistoryMiami’s photo center holds for engaging the community and building a greater understanding about South Florida,” said Dennis Scholl, vice president for arts at Knight Foundation.
HistoryMiami, a non-profit museum and Smithsonian Affiliate, already houses more than one million historical images, including Miami Herald and Miami News collections and 30 years of ethnographic documentation of the region’s cultural heritage.
The new Center for Photography will collect photography from the public, capture images through its own documentation projects, offer exhibitions and photography programs, and more. With these activities, the Center will capture, safeguard, and share the images that illuminate the Miami experience.
“We could not have implemented our vision for this project without the Knight Foundation’s grant funding,” said Ramiro Ortiz, HistoryMiami President/CEO. “Both HistoryMiami and the Knight Foundation share similar goals to support the arts and promote civic engagement, and we look forward to creating a dynamic documentary photography center dedicated to meeting these goals.”
About the Knight Foundation
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, visit KnightFoundation.org.
About HistoryMiami
HistoryMiami is the premier cultural institution celebrating Miami’s history as the unique crossroads of the Americas.We accomplish this through exhibitions, city tours, education, research, collections and publications. Visit to learn more about us. For general inquiries, please call 305-375-1492 or email: .
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