1996
Funding Arts Network, originally known as fifty over fifty, inc. emerged from informal conversations between two Miami friends, Deborah Hoffman and Nita Maercks, both long-time patrons and supporters of the arts. They shared a concern about how to sustain a healthy cultural environment in Miami-Dade County in light of diminishing government and corporate funding for cultural programs., The initial goal was fifty members, each of whom would contribute $1,000 per year, to create an annual arts funding pool of $50,000, hence the group’s original name, fifty over fifty, inc..
2003
In 2003 the name fifty over fifty, inc. was changed to Funding Arts Network (FAN) . The growing membership enabled FAN to award approximately $250,000 annually and, as of 2019, FAN has awarded more than $4, 500,000 in grants to support over 550 programs in the visual and performing arts.
In addition the FAN board, under the leadership of Rachel Blechman and Barbara Garrett, added an Emerging Groups Category to the dance, music, theater and visual arts categories considered for funding. This enabled newer groups as well as established groups to receive FAN funding.
2006
In September 2006, the board adopted a plan to add a Community Arts Group category so smaller groups whose art expresses a particular racial, ethnic or cultural heritage in which they are grounded would be encouraged to apply for a grant. In celebration of the 10th anniversary of FAN, the board also voted to provide a special grant for a new work, performed at least once in a manner which will reach a broad cross section of the population. FAN was honored to have the James S. and John L. Knight Foundation as its grant partner in this innovative award the Knight New Work Award, “KNWA”. The Knight Foundation provided funding in the amount of $50,000 each for two of these awards.
2008
The Wolfsonian FIU received the KNWA for its innovative exhibition Thoughts on Democracy, a Reinterpretation of Norman Rockwell’s “Four Freedoms” posters by 60 contemporary artists. These continue to be seen at the American Airlines terminal D display area in the Miami International Airport.
2009
Diaspora Vibe Cultural Arts Incubator, received the KNWA award for “Elusive Landscapes” with the exhibition beginning in June of 2010 and culminating in a solo exhibition November 18-25, 2010.
2010The Knight Foundation continued its generosity by providing funding for the Knight New Work Award for another two years. The $25,000 KNWA recipient for 2010 was Tigertail Productions, Inc. for Global Caribbean II, with an exhibition in December of 2010.
2011
The $25,000 KNWA recipient was the New World Symphony for Opening Fanfare, with a performance in October 2011.
FAN also created in 2011 a program to bring further awareness and understanding of the arts to its members: FANFare: A Taste of……!, a lecture series on one of the four disciplines of Dance, Music, Theater or Visual Arts. Both members and non-members attended with members paying a discounted fee. These lectures were highly interactive, and the program was extremely popular.
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