New York State Council On the Arts Announces 8.4 Million To Support Vital Cultural Programs Statewide

The New York State Council on the Arts today announced $8,383,993 million in grants to be distributed to 462 cultural organizations statewide in 2020 to support arts programs that drive New York State's economic growth and community health.

"The arts and culture are a critical driver of health in people and places," said Mara Manus, Executive Director, New York State Council on the Arts. "Our state's creative industries generate a total of $120 billion to the state economy, account for 466,000 jobs, and play a significant role in revitalization, education and social justice."

NYSCA will award a total of $41 million to arts organizations across New York State for FY2020. The second of three rounds of NYSCA funding for FY2020 includes support for museums, theatres, and arts organizations that drive tourism and anchor communities and arts education programs essential to learning for all ages, including public school students, aging populations and at-risk youth.

NYSCA Round II grants also support creative arts programs promoting physical and mental health and personal and professional development in historically underserved and vulnerable communities, including those in geographically remote areas; disabled communities; impoverished and homeless populations; and justice-involved youth and adults.

Programs receiving support include:

• National Black Theatre - Driving East Harlem revitalization by launching a mixed-use creative and residential hub with NYSCA Capital Fund support; while under construction, reaching diverse citywide audiences through partnerships, including a commissioning initiative for disabled artists with Carnegie Hall and musical co-production at the Apollo Theater.
• Buffalo String Works - Providing refugee children essential developmental support through free music instruction that transcends language barriers on Buffalo's west side, which is among the largest centers of resettled refugees and asylum seekers in the nation.
• Fund for the City of New York's JustArts Photography - An innovative restorative justice model within the Red Hook Community Justice Center providing court-involved teens high-quality photography instruction and professional opportunities within their neighborhood, reducing risk of re-offense and creating pathways to success.
• Fort Ticonderoga: A national cultural destination generating $12 million annually, undergoing one of the largest economic development projects in the North Country. With NYSCA Capital Fund support, the historic fort will open a new pavilion in 2020 providing new cultural experiences and facilities to expand its audience and revenue.
• Culture Push: Writing in Transit Program - Through free interactive writing and reading programs for Staten Island Ferry commuters - including bilingual and Spanish activities - Culture Push builds literacy and bridges cultural divides.
• Caroga Lake Music Festival - Driving revitalization in a culturally underserved Adirondack town of 1,200, CLMF draws audiences from around the region to concerts in unconventional settings such as local taverns, a lakeside amusement park and a barge.
• New York Botanical Garden: Yayoi Kusama Exhibition: New, site-specific work by one of the world's most prominent, Instagrammed artists will drive tourism to the Bronx and highlight the borough as a worthy cultural destination.

Annually, NYSCA grants are awarded in 15 discipline programs and the Regional Economic Development Council initiative. Over the last two years, NYSCA has awarded an additional $30 million in capital funding to 71 organizations statewide fueling community development and tourism, and will announce additional capital grant awards this year.

"New York's cultural sector is a driving force in our state's economy," said Katherine Nicholls, Chair, New York State Council on the Arts. "As our arts organizations expand their audiences and programs with NYSCA support, we will serve many more New Yorkers and build the vitality of our communities statewide."

NYSCA Round II grant awards were made through the agency's Arts Education, Special Arts Services, Museum, Theatre, Music, Dance, Literature, and Visual Arts Programs. A list of NYSCA grantees searchable by program and location is available here.

Additional NYSCA funding will be announced in late 2019, including support for presenting organizations, individual artist commissions, and, through the Regional Economic Development Council, programs driving economic growth and building New York State's workforce.

The New York State Council on the Arts champions community and creativity by preserving and advancing numerous aspects of the cultural heritage that makes New York State an exceptional place to live, work and visit.

NYSCA upholds the right of all New Yorkers to experience the vital contributions the arts make to our communities, education, economic development and quality of life. Through its core grantmaking activity, NYSCA awarded $51M in FY2019 to 2,400 organizations statewide through direct grants and regrants in our 15 programs, the Regional Economic Development Council initiative and the Mid-Size Capital Project Fund. NYSCA funding supports the visual, literary, media and performing arts and includes dedicated support for arts education and underserved communities. NYSCA further advances New York's creative culture by hosting convenings with leaders in the field and providing organizational and professional development opportunities and informational resources.

Created by Governor Nelson Rockefeller in 1960, and continued and expanded to the present day with the support of Governor Andrew M. Cuomo and the New York State Legislature, NYSCA is an agency of the Executive Branch of the New York State Government. For more information on NYSCA, please visit: www.arts.ny.gov.