Swamptoberfest and People’s Choice Award at Swampspace Gallery on Wednesday, October 22, 2014.

The director of Swampspace, Oliver Sanchez announced the nomination of the gallery by the Knight Foundation to their People’s Choice Award, South Florida. The announcement is a welcomed recognition for the maverick artist run project space located in the Miami Design District for nearly a decade.

Swampspace was founded on the premise that promoting artistic values increases civility among diverse groups that make up our greater community. It presents monthly exhibitions ranging from visual arts and sculpture to theatrical performance and musical interludes. With nearly fifty exhibitions and critical acclaim, Swampspace is now recognized to be a place both sophisticated enough for arbiters of taste and unvarnished enough for the iconoclast.

The People’s Choice Award highlights small arts groups making a difference in South Florida. It’s part of the Knight Arts Challenge, a community-wide contest funding the best ideas for the arts. Winners of both the challenge and People’s Choice will be announced in December.

As a way to shine the spotlight on smaller groups, the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation is asking the public to vote by text for their favorite of the six nominees to determine the People’s Choice winner. To vote, the public can text the nominees individual code to 22333 in the U.S. or 747-444-3548 toll-free, through 11:59 p.m. Monday Nov. 17. The effort is part of the Knight Arts Challenge, which funds projects that bring South Florida together through the arts.

The Knight Arts Challenge is a South Florida-based initiative to draw the best and most innovative ideas out of local organizations and individuals seeking to transform the community through the arts. If you have a great idea in the arts, let us know. Take part in a community rising to new levels of artistic achievement and global recognition. In the last six years, 193 ideas were funded. Is this your year?

Voting for People’s Choice Begins October 20th Ends Nov 17.

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