Arts, Council on the

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Agency Web Site: http://www.arts.ny.gov/

Mission

The New York State Council on the Arts (NYSCA) is an Executive agency with a primary mission of preserving the State's cultural resources and expanding access to the performing and fine arts. NYSCA strives to achieve its mission largely through its core grant-making activity, through which the agency awards grants to approximately 3,000 artists and arts organizations each year.

Organization and Staffing

NYSCA is headed by a Chair and a Vice Chair and consists of 21 members nominated to five-year terms by the Governor and confirmed by the Senate. The Council’s staff, located in New York City, have expertise in the major artistic disciplines (including dance, theater, and music) and provide advisory services and financial assistance to New York’s arts community.

Budget Highlights

The FY 2025 Executive Budget recommends nearly $100 million in total funding for NYSCA, which is less than the FY 2024 Enacted Budget primarily due to the discontinuation of one-time investments.

The Executive Budget funding level includes $6.0 million for agency operations, with a workforce of 31 FTEs, $43.4 million for NYSCA's core competitive grant-making activity, and $50 million to support capital grants ranging from $50,000 to $10 million. The $50 million for arts capital projects is appropriated in the Arts and Cultural Facilities Improvement Program (ACFIP) agency.

The Executive Budget also provides a $500,000 stand-alone appropriation for the Egg, an increase of $280,000 from FY 2024 Enacted levels. Combined with the $100,000 set-aside in NYSCA's base grantmaking appropriation, the Egg will receive $600,000 in total State funding this year.

For more information on this agency's budget recommendations located in the Executive Budget Briefing Book, click on the following link:

Briefing Book – Education (PDF)

Program Highlights

Approximately 90 percent of NYSCA's total funding supports grants to not-for-profit arts and cultural organizations. The remainder is used for the administration of the agency's grant program and the statewide promotion and development of artistic and cultural programs. NYSCA funding supports over 3,000 artists and arts organizations across all ten regions of the State. Grants are largely used to subsidize the operating costs of not-for-profit arts organizations, including but not limited to symphony orchestras, museums, dance companies, and theatres. Arts grants generally range from $10,000 to $49,500 based on the size of an organization and scope of the project.

In FY 2025, NYSCA will award more than $90 million in competitive grants to not-for-profit arts and cultural organizations, including both operating grants and capital grants to support arts and cultural institutions across the State that are undertaking small to mid-size capital improvement projects.

Note: Most recent estimates as of 01/16/2024