Interview with Knight Foundation's Carol Coletta

Barry: What are your thoughts on the issue of diversity within the arts? Should we be funding more efforts for all arts organizations to be more diverse - in their support, art, audiences and structures - or should we be focusing on supporting primarily diverse groups and organizations themselves? What is your thinking on the equity argument - that too much philanthropic support has gone to the larger, more traditional euro-centric arts organizations, and more ought to go to the smaller, and diverse organizations?

Carol: I am particularly interested in how we achieve more economic integration in America’s communities and the role arts can play in that. The effect on people’s lives of achieving economic integration – that is, people of various incomes living in close proximity – is positive on so many fronts. But it is not easy to achieve, so I want to invest in artists and organizations motivated to test their ideas on how to do this. I want to learn from their efforts. On the other hand, showcasing diverse voices and cultures is really valuable to our communities. We live in an America made richer by its diversity, and the arts reflect that perhaps better than anything else.