McKnight Foundation

09/24/2026

“We don’t lead with technology, we lead with the delicious shared future we can build together.” – Ashley Fairbanks

The Ground We Share brought that idea to life at McKnight’s anchor arts and climate convening during Climate Week NYC.

Rather than asking artists and culture bearers to illustrate a climate conversation, we invited them to lead it through performance, story, dialogue, and imagination.

Ricardo Levins Morales described art as “the collective dream life of the people,” while Olivia Levins Holden spoke to community authorship: “People know the stories that need to be told in their own communities.”

As Jothsna Harris put it, “We all have climate stories to tell.”

Sam Gould reflected on how crisis can bring people together to create “infrastructure for care and connection.”

Food emerged as another powerful thread. “Food is our connection to the planet, what makes us healthier, what connects us to each other,” said Sean Sherman.

“Food is the most intimate relationship, because we become what we eat,” added Chef Pyet DeSpain.

Together, these conversations showed that climate is not only about the systems we’re trying to change. It’s about how they shape our daily lives, relationships, and sense of belonging.

Artists and culture bearers surface truths, hold complexity, and expand what people believe is possible.

We ended with comedian and The Daily Show correspondent Josh Johnson, whose humor showed how laughter can open people to new ways of seeing the world.

“Comedy has a bit more of a window where you can let your guard down. I’m not trying to convince you of anything,” Josh shared. “If I can show you why something is silly or moving, and you’re moved by it too, that’s common ground. There is an openness people have after they laugh. That’s a way in.”

That’s part of how durable change takes root, and that’s climate work, too.

Thank you to Louis Daniel Alemayehu, The Sioux Chef Sean Sherman, Chef Pyet DeSpain, Ricardo Levins Morales Art Studio, Olivia Levins Holden, Sam Gould, Jothsna Harris, Ashley Fairbanks, Josh Johnson, and our partners for helping us imagine a more perfect “we.”

That’s the ground we share.

09/22/2026

Rural America is helping shape what the clean energy transition looks like in practice. 🌾⚡

Today at Rural America & the Clean Energy Transition, hosted by Canary Media, the spotlight was on the communities proving that clean energy can strengthen local economies, lower costs, create jobs, and expand opportunity when people closest to the work help lead it.

From tribal energy sovereignty and small town leadership to agrisolar successes and community benefits, speakers including Robert Blake, Scott Laeser, Tim Pawlenty, Leah Qusba, Benjamin Ge**er, and many others shared examples of what becomes possible when rural communities have a real stake in what comes next.

The day also featured one of the event's most memorable illustrations of rural innovation: a solar farm-to-table sampler from James Beard–nominated chefs Mateo Mackbee and Erin Lucas from Minnesota, made possible by Rob Davis. The menu showcased how clean energy and agriculture can work hand in hand to strengthen local economies and communities, and be delicious!

One theme emerged again and again: there is no single blueprint for the energy transition. The most durable solutions are emerging from communities themselves, whether in Tribal nations, farming regions, small towns, or energy-producing counties. When local leaders have the power to shape their future, clean energy becomes a pathway to economic resilience, self-determination, and shared prosperity.

Special thanks to Rural Climate Partnership, CleanCounts, Advanced Energy United, GoodPower, Invest in Our Future, MacArthur Foundation, Outrider Foundation, and Solar Energy Industries Association for helping make this event possible.

09/22/2026

“To change our food system, we need to put power into the hands of people in communities.” - Karen Washington, Rise & Root Farm

That idea stayed with us after the Food Solutions Summit: Stories from the Frontlines of Climate and Farming during Climate Week.

From New York to Iowa, from Niger to the Andes, the conversation centered on communities already building healthier, more resilient food systems rooted in local knowledge and local leadership, while grappling with shared challenges like biodiversity loss, soil health, and pollution from agriculture.

Sean Sherman of The Sioux Chef reminded us that food is inseparable from culture, place, and community. Reginaldo Haslett-Marroquin from Regenerative Agriculture Alliance shared what it takes to build the markets and infrastructure that help regenerative systems thrive, while Anna Lappé, Rebecca Nelson, and others challenged us to rethink what we value, what we measure, and what we're willing to invest in.

In a closing conversation, Tonya Allen and Karen Washington reminded us that transforming food systems is ultimately about people, place, and power: who shapes decisions, whose knowledge is valued, and how we invest in communities already leading the way.

A new Consumer Reports survey released during the summit reinforced what many speakers emphasized throughout the day: people want food systems that are healthy, trustworthy, and good for both people and the planet.

We're proud to support this work and learn alongside communities showing that climate solutions can strengthen the land, local economies, and the people who depend on them.

Thank you to Funders for Regenerative Agriculture, Global Alliance for the Future of Food, Macdoch Foundation, GRACE Communications Foundation, Instituto Ibirapitanga, and EarthShare for convening this important conversation.

09/22/2026

Poetry helps us connect, reflect, and imagine what's possible together.

Applications are now open for the next Minneapolis Poet Laureate. This unique role celebrates the power of words to bring people together and strengthen our community’s literary culture.

We're excited to see this opportunity continue a remarkable legacy, from inaugural Poet Laureate Heid E. Erdrich, McKnight's 2026 Distinguished Artist, to current Poet Laureate Junauda Petrus, a 2026 McKnight Community-Engaged Artist Fellow. Artists and culture bearers help communities reflect, reimagine, and build a better future.

Apply by Oct. 7: https://loft.org/awards/minneapolis-poet-laureate

Apply for the Minneapolis Poet Laureate role at the linked application below. Image above: Junauda Petrus, 2025-2026 Poet Laureate

09/21/2026

We just wrapped Advancing the Next Phase of Community Climate Investment at Climate Week NYC, and we're leaving energized by the conversation.

Alongside Hive Fund and Communities First Fund, we convened funders, impact investors, and community leaders around a theme that Tonya Allen raised to kick off the event: “Communities are not waiting to be saved. They have real projects and real leaders and real community support. The challenge now is making sure that capital flows to them so they can shape and build the future.”

The opportunity is creating the financing pathways, partnerships, and capital tools that help those solutions grow and deliver long-term benefits locally.

As Sacha-Rose Phillips shared, “The strongest projects we have in our queue are with small organizations like Walnut Way and Sabathani Community Center with distributed leadership, bold visions, and deep community relationships.”

The solutions are here. Now it's time to scale what communities are already leading. Here are a few more important voices we heard in the room:

“Community has always been first. We want to show up for folks with capital that helps them solve local problems.” - Melanie Allen, Hive Fund

“Invest directly in people and communities. But also invest in community groups to be in new spaces like public service commissions where we can make new change.” - Antonio Butts, Walnut Way

“This is a tipping point moment for us, and for communities, benefits are not enough–people need ownership.” - Stephanie Gidigbi Jenkins, Communities First Fund

“We’re using revenue from solar projects to deliver guaranteed basic income, largely for single mothers.” - Ajulo Othow, EnerWealth Solutions

“Clean energy was not the first goal for most of these projects. For them, saving money on their energy bills to invest in their services to local people.” - Tremaine Phillips, Third Coast Strategies

“It is mission critical for our communities to build clean energy. They need resilience, jobs, energy efficient housing—it’s not optional.” - Andrew Crosson, Invest Appalachia

Grateful to everyone who joined us to explore how catalytic capital can accelerate community-led energy investment and help ensure the benefits of the clean energy transition land where they're needed most.

09/18/2026

Climate Week starts soon. 🌎

And while leaders from around the world are gathering in New York next week, some of the most important climate work is happening far from the conference stage.

🌾 Farmers are building stronger, more resilient food systems.
⚡ Communities are advancing cleaner energy.
🏘️ Local leaders are creating new economic opportunity.
🎨 Artists and culture bearers are expanding what’s possible.
🤝 Neighbors are building the relationships and power to shape their futures.

At McKnight, we’re bringing these stories and lessons into the Climate Week conversation—from food and agriculture and community investment to arts and culture, democracy, and local climate leadership.

Because the people closest to a challenge are often closest to the solution.

Follow along next week as we explore what communities are building now—and what we can build next, together.

09/18/2026

🗳️ Early voting starts TODAY in Minnesota! Can’t make it to the polls on Election Day? Minnesota offers secure and convenient options to vote early, either by mail or in person.

✅ Vote early and help keep Minnesota #1 in voter turnout. Make your voting plan, check your registration, learn about absentee voting, and find early voting locations at mnvotes.gov.

09/17/2026

Clean energy delivers. It lowers costs for families. Creates good jobs. Improves public health. Makes communities more resilient. And it gives people more power over the decisions that shape their lives.

That's why rolling back pollution safeguards is the wrong direction.

Communities should have the power to shape the energy systems they depend on, so those systems work better for people, are built to last, and can weather whatever comes next.

We already know how to lower costs, grow local economies, protect health, and cut pollution at the same time. These are proven solutions that deliver for real families and communities.

We should not walk away from them when people need them most.

See the link in the comments for our full statement in response to EPA’s decision to repeal federal standards that would have required many coal and gas power plants to significantly reduce their climate pollution.

09/16/2026

📣We are excited to announce that this year's McKnight Distinguished Artist Award recipient is Heid E. Erdrich. 📣

A poet, editor, curator, teacher, and cultural leader, Erdrich has spent more than three decades expanding what poetry can be and who it can reach. Through her writing, public art projects, teaching, and collaborations, she has brought poetry into community spaces while creating opportunities for other artists to thrive.

"Heid is a visionary poet and cultural leader whose work has helped shape the literary landscape of Minnesota and Native Nations across the country," said Tonya Allen, president of McKnight Foundation. "Through decades of creativity, collaboration, and leadership, she has enriched Minnesota's cultural life and shown how art can connect people, strengthen communities, and open new possibilities."

Join us in celebrating her remarkable contributions to Minnesota's arts and cultural community.

Learn more: https://www.mcknight.org/news-ideas/mcknight-names-heid-e-erdrich-2026-distinguished-artist/

09/15/2026

A few photos from last night's celebration of the 2026 McKnight Artist & Culture Bearer Fellows. It was a joy to gather, connect, and celebrate this year's remarkable cohort. 🥰🎉

Meet all of this year's fellows: https://www.mcknight.org/programs/arts-culture/mcknight-artist-culture-bearer-fellowships/meet-the-fellows/