McKnight Artist Fellowships Brand Guidelines

This page provides guidance for consistent public communications about the McKnight Artist Fellowships Program, for all partners to help advance the program’s brand.

Unless otherwise noted, all information applies to both print and digital situations.

Program Name

The name of the overarching, umbrella program directed by McKnight is the McKnight Artist Fellowships Program. (After the first mention in a given context, feel free to abbreviate as “the fellowships program” or simply “the program.”) Program partners, in turn, administer discipline-specific fellowships, which collectively make up the artist fellowships program.

When referring to the program, avoid:

• acronyms such as MAFP, MFP, etc.;
• variations such as McKnight Fellowships, McKnight Individual Artist Grants, etc.; or
• amalgams with other names, such as Benson Gallery/McKnight Fellowships, etc.

Individual fellowships, within a discipline

When specifying a particular creative discipline (first usage), individual fellowships or fellows are referred to as follows:

McKnight Fellowships for	Ceramic Artists, Choreographers, Composers, Dancers, Media Artists, Musicians, Playwrights, Theater Artists, Visual Artists, or Writers
McKnight	Ceramic Artist, Choreographer, Composer, Dancer, Media Artist, Musician, Playwright, Theater Artist, Visual Artist, or Writer	Fellow or Fellowships
McKnight Fellow or Fellowship in	Ceramics, Choreography, Composition, Dance, Media Arts, Music, Playwrighting, Theater, Visual Art, or Writing

 

Examples:

• The Cowles Center administers the McKnight Fellowships for Dancers.
• Carson Kreitzer is a 2015 McKnight Playwright Fellow.
• Sheryl McRoberts received a 2016 McKnight Fellowship in Ceramics.

Logo usage

In print and online, use the official logo in all fellowships-related communications.

The logo is available in several variants (file formats and color and transparency options) to allow for design flexibility. Download a compressed file containing all current logo options.

Do not use screen-grabs or alter the aspect ratio or colors of the logo image files. For print projects, place the fellowships logo prominently on the front cover or first page (depending on format) of all fellowships-related materials.

Note that these logos are non-transferable. They are for the exclusive use of fellowship program partners, and should not be forwarded or used by others.

Logo Color Reference
Hex Code	E7E8DF	C8102E	231F20
RGB	231R 232G 223B	220R 16G 46B	35R 31G 32B
CMYK	5Y 7K	200, 100, 85, 6	100K
Uncoated PMS	Pantone 9081U Cream	Pantone 186U Red	Black
Coated PMS	Pantone 9081C Cream	Pantone 186C Red	Black

NOTE: There is a different horizontal ribbon logo  designed specifically for artist fellows.

Web content

Partner websites are appropriately designed to reflect their own organizational brand. Within that context, the following guidelines are provided to establish reasonable consistency for fellowships-related communications:

All partner websites include a specific page dedicated to fellowships information. McKnight will link to this page from our website.

• Each fellowships-related webpage clearly displays official logo, within the top third of the page
• information on the application process, including eligibility, deadline, etc.
• contact info for fellowships administrator
• current status of application (open or closed)
• related announcements
• Each partner website furnishes a visible homepage button or menu link to its fellowships-related webpage; ideally, site navigation should allow for easy, transparent access to the content from any page on the site.
• Each partner fellowships-related webpage also includes a link to the horizontal ribbon logo for artist fellows, mentioned above.

News & Social Media

McKnight cross-posts fellowship announcements at www.mcknight.org/artistfellowships.

Within two weeks of award selections, partners post an announcement of awardees that McKnight can link to. When format allows for it, McKnight requests an opportunity to submit a quote to appear in each partner’s selection announcement. Also, please include McKnight’s boilerplate language at the end of all official fellowships-related announcements.

McKnight also promotes news and announcements via social media, and will consider specific ways (such as hashtags) to extend our strategies to the fellowships program.

Boilerplate

In situations requiring language about the fellowships program as a whole or the McKnight Foundation, such as news releases, announcements, or specific fellowships webpages, please use the following pre-approved boilerplate, in conjunction with language crafted by your organization.

Fellowships boilerplate (updated January 2021)
Founded on the belief that Minnesota thrives when its artists thrive, the McKnight Foundation’s arts and culture program is one of the oldest and largest of its kind in the country. Support for individual working Minnesota artists has been a cornerstone of the program since it began in 1982. The McKnight Artist Fellowships Program provides annual, unrestricted cash awards to outstanding mid-career Minnesota artists in 14 different creative disciplines. Program partner organizations administer the fellowships and structure them to respond to the unique challenges of different disciplines. Currently the foundation contributes about $2.8 million per year to its statewide fellowships. For more information, visit mcknight.org/artistfellowships.

McKnight boilerplate (updated July 2020)
The McKnight Foundation, a Minnesota-based family foundation, advances a more just, creative, and abundant future where people and planet thrive. Established in 1953, the McKnight Foundation is deeply committed to advancing climate solutions in the Midwest; building an equitable and inclusive Minnesota; and supporting the arts in Minnesota, neuroscience, and international crop research.

Questions?

Arleta Little, Program Officer and Director of Artist Fellowships, alittle@mcknight.org

Molly Miles, Digital Storyteller, mmiles@mcknight.org