The Wolfsonian–Florida International University Receives $2 Million from Knight Foundation To Strengthen Digital Initiatives
With a new gift of $2 million from the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation, The Wolfsonian–Florida International University opens an exciting chapter in its ongoing digital evolution. The Knight Arts Miami award— which follows Knight Foundation’s Museum of Ideas gift of $3 million in 2012—will further The Wolfsonian’s decade-long efforts to improve collection access, awareness, discovery, and storytelling through online and interactive platforms.
The new $2 million makes possible an ambitious “phase 2” in The Wolfsonian’s multi-year digital strategy, allowing the museum and study center to dramatically step up its integration of technologies into the Wolfsonian way. Building upon prior successes and a previous focus on workflow, digital literacy, data collection, and digitization—which has 115,000 collection images captured and brought online to date—staff will recenter around robust digital content creation and broadening access to, and engagement with, the museum’s collection. The award will also enhance the team’s application of searchability tools and human-centered design, ensuring that the digital department’s goals, principles, and processes can carry the institution well into the future.
“We are honored to partner with Knight Foundation on this next stage of The Wolfsonian’s digital growth,” said Wolfsonian director Casey Steadman. “This transformation goes hand-in-hand with our plans to improve public access to the collection through our building itself—it’s all about sharing more of what we have, bringing our resources to light.”
The $2 million Wolfsonian gift is part of a newly announced $40 million commitment from Knight Foundation in Miami-area cultural organizations and their use of technology to enhance the ways art is produced, shared, and experienced. These investments will bring Knight’s overall Miami arts contributions to $200 million since 2005.
About The John S. And James L. Knight Foundation
As social investors, Knight Foundation supports democracy by funding free expression and journalism, arts and culture in community, research in areas of media and democracy, and in the success of American cities and towns where the Knight brothers once published newspapers. Founded by publishers who owned the largest newspaper company of their time, Knight Foundation is among the leading funders of journalism and media innovation in the country and works to promote more informed and engaged communities. In 2019, Knight doubled its investment in strengthening journalism, announcing $300 million in support over five years focusing on building the future of local news and information. Learn more at kf.org and follow @knightfdn on social media.
About The Wolfsonian-Florida International University
The Wolfsonian–FIU is a museum, library, and research center that uses objects to illustrate the persuasive power of art and design, to explore what it means to be modern, and to tell the story of social, political, and technological changes that have transformed our world. The collections comprise more than 200,000 items from the period 1850 to 1950—the height of the Industrial Revolution to the end of the Second World War—and include fine arts, decorative arts, graphic design, industrial design, architectural drawings, rare publications, and ephemera.
The Wolfsonian is located at 1001 Washington Avenue, Miami Beach, FL. Admission is $12 for adults; $8 for seniors, students with ID, and children 6–18; and free for Florida residents, visitors with disabilities and their accompanying caregiver, children under 6, and students, faculty, and staff of the State University System of Florida. The museum is open Wednesday–Sunday, 10am–6pm (Fridays open late and free, 6–9pm). Contact us at (305) 531-1001 or visit us online at wolfsonian.org.
The Wolfsonian receives generous and ongoing support from the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation; Miami-Dade County Department of Cultural Affairs and the Cultural Affairs Council, the Miami-Dade County Mayor and Board of County Commissioners; State of Florida, Department of State, Division of Cultural Affairs and the Florida Council on Arts and Culture; and City of Miami Beach, Cultural Affairs Program, Cultural Arts Council.
Photo Credit: THE WOLFSONIAN-FIU
Date Posted: December 15, 2022
