2019 News and Press Releases - DCLA

NYC Cultural Affairs


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History

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News and Press Releases

Employment Opportunities

Annual Reports

Request Agency Logo

Accessibility

FOIL Requests

Rule Making

Contact Us


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City Announces Grants Totaling $51.3 Million for Cultural Programming at 985 NYC Nonprofits

The grants support organizations working across disciplines and in all corners of the city, as well as record levels of funding for NYC’s artists. Grants are part of City’s largest-ever $212 million arts and culture expense budget.
December 20, 2019
Learn more about the Fiscal Year 2020 awards.

Noel Pointer Foundation Receives $6.5 Million to Transform Long-Vacant Degraw Firehouse into a Music Education Center

The City will work with the Brooklyn-based music education nonprofit to renovate the historic firehouse into its new home for offices and programming.
December 11, 2019
Find out more about the project.

NYC Department of Cultural Affairs and NYCEDC Break Ground on New L10 Arts and Cultural Center in Fort Greene

The new cultural center will include 50,000 square feet of space for BAM, MoCADA, 651 ARTS, and the Brooklyn Public Library.
December 4, 2019
Read more about the new cultural hub.

Artist Hank Willis Thomas' "Unity" – A New Permanent, Public Artwork – is Installed in Downtown Brooklyn

The monumental 22.5-foot sculpture was commissioned through the City’s Percent for Art program as part of a broader revitalization of the Tillary Street corridor.
November 12, 2019
Read more about the artwork.

De Blasio Administration Announces New IDNYC Program Benefits Ahead of Five-Year Anniversary

IDNYC cardholders receive discounts, special offers, and other benefits at dozens of NYC’s most renowned cultural institutions, now including The Apollo Theater, Bargemusic, Jazz at Lincoln Center, National Sawdust, The Shed, and the Whitney.
October 29, 2019
Read the press release.

City Announces New Monument in Central Park Honoring the Lyons Family

The new monument will honor an extraordinary African American family who led their community in the fight to make NYC more fair and just.
October 22, 2019
Find out more about the Lyons family.

Artist Vinnie Bagwell will Design “Beyond Sims” Monument in East Harlem b>

Bagwell’s proposed artwork, “Victory Beyond Sims,” will replace the J. Marion Sims statue that was removed in April 2018.
October 8, 2019
Read more about the new monument.

NYC Department of Cultural Affairs, ArtBridge, and Google Celebrate the First Public Artwork Installed Through "City Canvas"

The City Canvas pilot program allows artwork to be installed on sidewalk sheds and construction fences citywide. The first installation, commissioned by ArtBridge, features work by seven NYC-based women and non-binary artists on a construction shed outside of Google’s Chelsea headquarters.
September 16, 2019
Learn more about this new public artwork.

As CUNY Cultural Corps Enters its Fourth Year, NYC Department of Cultural Affairs and CUNY Announce New Permanent Public Funding

This school year, over 100 CUNY students will begin paid internships with 45 cultural organizations. In its latest budget, DCLA included permanent funding for this important source of talent for the cultural community.
September 17, 2019
Read more about CUNY Cultural Corps.

Materials for the Arts Hosts Fifth Annual "Back to School Shopping Spree"

Through the end of September, MFTA welcomes public school teachers to start the school year with free supplies to support their work across the curriculum.
August 27, 2019
Find out more about shopping at MFTA

NYC Department of Cultural Affairs Announces CreateNYC Language Access Fund

Building on recommendations in the CreateNYC cultural plan, the Language Access Fund will support arts and culture programming reaching audiences whose primary language is not English.
August 16, 2019
Find out more about the CreateNYC Language Access Fund

On the Cultural Plan’s Second Anniversary, DCLA Releases “CreateNYC Action Plan” and Highlights New Programs & Investments

The Action Plan streamlines CreateNYC’s 90+ recommendations into five objectives and 25 supporting strategies, providing greater clarity and transparency. DCLA’s $212 million FY20 budget sets another record for City cultural funding.
August 1, 2019
Learn more and explore the CreateNYC Action Plan.

NYC Department of Cultural Affairs Releases New Report on Demographics of City’s Cultural Workforce

This pilot study from SMU DataArts captures demographic data – including new information on disability status and sexual orientation – at 65 organizations, and will roll out to all DCLA constituent groups next year. The report comes as 33 members of the Cultural Institutions Group adopt City-mandated diversity, equity, and inclusion plans.
July 29, 2019
Read more about the study.

Department of Cultural Affairs Releases Arts and Cultural Inventories for Bushwick, Far Rockaway, and Morrisania

Through the Building Community Capacity program, community-based development organizations and cultural nonprofits collaborated to survey arts and culture engagement as reported by neighborhood residents.
July 19, 2019
Find out more and read the reports.

26 Cultural Institutions on City Property Join DCLA for #DaylightHour 2019 to Help Conserve Energy

Turning off lights in sunlit spaces highlights simple ways to save energy. The City has committed nearly $40 million over the last five years to promote a sustainable cultural sector.
June 20, 2019
Learn more about Daylight Hour and the City’s green cultural investments.

City Joins Dancewave to Cut Ribbon on New Performing Arts Studio

Accessible, energy-efficient location triples the size of Dancewave’s studio and community space. The project received $4.2 million in City support.
June 7, 2019
Find out more about the project.

New York City Launches New Civics and Arts Fund to Promote Civic Engagement Through the Arts

Fund will partner with NYC arts and cultural venues to connect with students, starting with Tony-nominated play 'What the Constitution Means to Me.'
June 3, 2019
Read more and suggest future projects.

City Breaks Ground on Expansion and Upgrade of Snug Harbor Music Hall on Staten Island

The $19.5 million project will extend and modernize the landmarked venue, increasing capacity, accessibility, and energy efficiency. The award-winning design features a Percent for Art installation that reflects on Staten Island’s maritime history.
May 31, 2019
Learn more about the project.

Percent for Art Commission Newtown Creek Nature Walk in Greenpoint, Brooklyn to Double in Length and Provide Uninterrupted Public Access to Waterfront

Designed by artist George Trakas through DCLA’s Percent for Art Program, the expanded Walk will extend across Whale Creek and allow for public access from either side of the Newtown Creek Wastewater Resource Recovery Facility.
May 31, 2019
Read more about the Nature Walk.

Cultural Affairs Joins Mayor De Blasio, First Lady McCray to Announce Monument Honoring Pioneering Trans Activists Marsha P. Johnson and Sylvia Rivera

One of the first monuments honoring transgender people in the world, a new permanent public artwork in Manhattan’s Greenwich Village will celebrate these two trailblazing advocates for LGBTQ rights and inclusivity.
May 30, 2019
Learn more about the new monument.

NYC Department of Cultural Affairs Launches "Community Organizing 101: Engagement Tactics for Cultural Organizations"

Building on recommendations from CreateNYC, 30 non-profit cultural organizations will receive training in strategies from the field of community organizing to help strengthen their relationships with city residents, especially those from historically marginalized groups.
May 2, 2019
Read more about the program.

NYC Artists Amanda Williams And Olalekan Jeyifous Selected To Design Monument Honoring Shirley Chisholm

The first to be commissioned as part of She Built NYC, a new monument honoring Shirley Chisholm – the first black woman elected to Congress – will be installed in Prospect Park by the end of 2020.
April 24, 2019
Read more about the design.

NYC Department of Cultural Affairs Announces Four New Public Artists in Residence (PAIRs)

The PAIR program embeds artists within City agencies to address pressing civic and social issues through creative practice. This year, artists will work with the Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, the Department for the Aging, the Department of Records and Information Services, and the Mayor’s Office of Sustainability.
April 5, 2019
Read more about the artists and their projects.

She Built NYC: City Unveils Five Preliminary Artist Proposals for Shirley Chisholm Monument in Prospect Park

Based on these proposals from Firelei Báez, La Vaughn Belle, Tanda Francis, Mickalene Thomas, and Amanda Williams & Olalekan Jeyifous, a final artist will be selected in early April through the City’s Percent for Art program.
Mar 27, 2019
Learn more about the proposals.

City Announces $2.8 Million in Funding for Over 175 Cultural Organizations from Metropolitan Museum Admissions Revenue Agreement

The de Blasio Administration announced that $2.8 million in additional funding allocated to over 175 cultural organizations in underserved communities in all five boroughs.
Mar 18, 2019
Learn more.

De Blasio Administration Announces Four New Monuments Honoring Female Leaders As A Part Of She Built NYC Initiative

With this announcement, there will be a She Built NYC monument in all five boroughs. Shirley Chisholm will be joined by Billie Holiday, Elizabeth Jennings Graham, Dr. Helen Rodríguez Trías, and Katherine Walker.
Mar 6, 2019
Find out more about the women being commemorated.

Mayor’s Grant for Cultural Impact to Support Ten Partnerships between City Agencies and Cultural Organizations

Now in its second year, the Mayor’s Grant for Cultural Impact is an outgrowth of CreateNYC now dedicates over $830,000 in direct and in-kind public funding. Supported partnerships will address pressing civic issues from public safety to immigration to literacy.
January 31, 2019
Learn more about the collaborative projects.

On Its Fourth Birthday, Mayor de Blasio and First Lady McCray Announce IDNYC Adds Third Gender Designation

Among its wide range of benefits, NYC’s municipal identification card also continues to provide free one-year memberships at dozens of cultural partners, now including the Leslie-Lohman Museum of Gay and Lesbian Art.
January 15, 2019
Read the press release.
Learn more about the benefits of IDNYC.

City Completes Two New Performance Spaces for MCC Theater

The 26,000-square-foot theater complex, a new permanent home for MCC, also includes two Percent for Art public art commissions.
January 9, 2019
Read more about this major capital project.