$31 milion awarded to arts organizations across New York

Rochester, New York – Governor Kathy Hochul of New York said on Tuesday that over $32 million in state financing will be given to over 1,000 arts organizations throughout the state.

According to state legislators, these funds, which are administered by the New York State Council on the Arts (NYSCA), will improve local communities access to crucial funding and will give organizations still recovering from the COVID-19 pandemic crucial support.

“Throughout the pandemic, arts organizations had to furlough staff and cancel programs, resulting in a loss of audience outreach and community support,” said NYSCA Executive Director Mara Manus. ” Still facing many challenges, these organizations will benefit from the recovery support provided by the Regrowth and Capacity grants to continue their innovation and development in the coming year.”

There were 1,032 groups funded, and about 15 of them were in the Rochester region. These organizations include the Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra, Blackfriars Theatre, Geva Theatre Center, Little Theatre, and A Magical Journey Thru Stages, Inc.

In September, organizations submitted project applications in order to be considered for financing. These projects, which include paying artists, rehiring personnel, and launching new initiatives, are designated for the money collected.

“It is more important than ever to directly support the arts as they continue to recover from pandemic challenges,” State Senator Jose Serrano said. “NYSCA is working with organizations all over the state to fund the arts in every single region. This unprecedented level of arts support will build a stronger New York.”

Regrowth and Capacity, Statewide Community Grants, and Partnership Grants were some of the different categories into which the funds were divided.

A total of $13,310,000 will be made available through the Regrowth and Capacity Grants. These will help pay for public programming, audience development, the hiring of new employees for arts groups, and the acquisition of essential safety gear.

The Statewide Community Regrants, which provide funds to 24 local arts organizations totaling $11,938,716, encourage local decision-making. Through community art-making, art education, and support for individual artists, these organizations in turn help their local art groups and artists.

The Partnership Grants enable 19 organizations to directly manage $6,609,892 to support a wide range of innovative arts programming and services. These organizations have experience in particular artistic disciplines and practices.