New York State News – Grants for Artists – Big New York

Governor Kathy Hochul today announced that $82 million in New York State Council on the Arts (NYSCA) grants are now available for nonprofit arts and culture organizations and individual artists across New York State. The launch of these grants will provide flexible funding to support a wide range of organizations and artistic pursuits, including helping individual artists create new works, sustaining new and existing programming at community organizations, increasing access to affordable rehearsal and studio space, and expanding opportunities for performing arts residencies. Application guidelines are available now at arts.ny.gov.

“Arts and culture have long been a key part of New York’s identity, and a critical component of our state’s success as a rich and vibrant place to live, work, and visit,” Governor Hochul said. “These vital funding opportunities will strengthen our creative sector by supporting a wide range of diverse and innovative projects, and will allow our arts and cultural organizations to further develop and grow, while making it more accessible for New Yorkers and visitors alike.”

A kick-off webinar for the NYSCA FY 2024 Opportunities will be held on Thursday, May 18 at 11 a.m. Registration is available here.

Guidelines for the following opportunities are available to download on the NYSCA website:

Support for Organizations
- Provides flexible operating and programmatic funding for qualified arts and culture organizations. Awards range from $10,000 to $49,500.
Support for Artists
- Funds creative commissions to individual artists across the state. The commission areas include Choreography, Composer, Film, Media, and New Technology, Folk and Traditional Arts, Interdisciplinary, Literature, Theater Commissions, and Visual arts. Award amount is $10,000.
Support for Targeted Opportunities
- Rehearsal and Studio Space for the Performing Arts: This funding is intended to support creative rehearsal time and organizations that provide viable and affordable space for non-profit arts groups and artists.  Awards range from $15,000 to $35,000.
- Folk and Traditional Arts Apprenticeships: This funding provides individuals experienced in a folk art with opportunities to study with master folk artists from their own community. Award amount is $10,000.
- Performing Arts Residencies. This opportunity supports a minimum 3-consecutive-week residency by New York-based performing arts groups in a targeted area in New York State outside of the applicant’s home county and outside New York City. Awards range from $15,000 to $35,000.
Support for Regrants and Services
- Supports funding to State Community Regrant sites – a network of regional arts and culture organizations located across the state – that leverage their local expertise to extend the impact of NYSCA’s grantmaking to artists and nonprofits in all 62 counties as well as funding to organizations for services to the field. This opportunity is by invite only.

The application portal will open on Thursday, June 1. The deadline to apply is Thursday, July 13, at 4 p.m. All applicants must complete the prequalification process through NYS Grants Gateway before applying for a grant. NYSCA urges applicants to begin the prequalification process as soon as possible. Opportunities for Capital Project Grants will be announced in the Fall.

These historic opportunities for the arts and culture sector continue last year’s historic levels of arts funding, including unprecedented support for capital projects. In FY 2023, NYSCA awarded $90 million in support grants to 426 artists and over 1,200 organizations.

New York State Council on the Arts Executive Director Mara Manus said, “During this critical juncture of recovery and revitalization, it is with immense gratitude to the Governor and the Legislature that we celebrate this continued support of the arts and culture sector. As the arts deliver an incredible return on investment, we know we know this critical support of the arts will further increase the personal wellness, community health and economic prosperity of New York and all who visit here.”

New York State Council on the Arts Chair Katherine Nicholls said, “NYSCA’s renewed mission affirms our commitment to foster and advance the full breadth of New York State’s arts, culture, and creativity for all. Thanks to the leadership of Governor Hochul and the Legislature, NYSCA will continue to offer meaningful financial support to arts and cultural organizations to benefit artists, audiences, students, communities, and visitors to New York State.”

State Senator Jose Serrano said, ”The arts and culture are vital for our economy, communities, and people across our state. The arts inspire and nourish our collective spirit, and I congratulate NYSCA on today’s announcement and its continued commitment to supporting New York’s artists and organizations.”

Assemblymember Daniel O’Donnell said, “It’s essential that we acknowledge and support the remarkable power of the arts, which invigorate every aspect of our state. I am grateful to my colleagues for their efforts in helping us secure a substantial arts budget, ensuring that New York continues to shine as a global hub for arts and culture. I eagerly anticipate the impactful results NYSCA will achieve through its grantmaking across our state.”

About the New York State Council on the Arts

NYSCA preserves and advances the arts and culture that make New York State an exceptional place to live, work and visit. The Council 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. To support the ongoing recovery of the arts across New York State, NYSCA is awarding $127 million in FY 2024, providing support across the full breadth of the arts.

NYSCA further advances New York’s creative culture by convening leaders in the field and providing organizational and professional development opportunities and informational resources. Created by Governor Nelson Rockefeller in 1960 and continued with the support of Governor Kathy Hochul and the New York State Legislature, the Council is an agency that is part of the Executive Branch. For more information on NYSCA, please visit www.arts.ny.gov, and follow NYSCA’s Facebook page, Twitter @NYSCArts and Instagram @NYSCouncilontheArts.