AFTA Journal

April 2003

A CRISIS IN THE ARTS

Some members of the cultural community fear that a "perfect storm" is gathering to threaten the financial stability of the sector. The cumulative effects of declines in income from all public and private sources have already forced lay-offs and reduced public programs. The threat of still further cuts in funding, combined with the uncertainties of the effects of the war in Iraq, has created a mood of anxiety as we go into the final stages of the City budget process.

At the same time, the resilience after September 11 is evident in crowds at major museum exhibitions and creative responses from the field. The Department of Cultural Affairs has made significant improvements in its contracting procedures and is addressing issues such as the need for space, the soaring cost of insurance and security, and the potential for better cultural marketing.

Randall Bourscheidt, President

HEARING ON PRELIMINARY BUDGET FOR FY 2004

On March 24, 2003, the Committee on Cultural Affairs, Libraries & International Intergroup Relations, chaired by José Serrano (District 17, Bronx) held a hearing on the January 2003 Financial Plan for FY 2003-2007. In her testimony, Cultural Affairs Commissioner Kate Levin described DCA initiatives aimed at easing the burden of the impending budget cuts, including:

Renewal grants. DCA has begun offering "renewal grants" to organizations receiving Program funds that have a "proven track record of service delivery."

Streamlining the Vendex process. DCA has begun to "pay 75 percent of line-item organizations earlier than last year."

Cultural Development Fund. CDF is a fundamental change in awarding Program contracts, combining two former grant programs, the Program Development Fund and the Arts Development Fund. The new program is competitive and based on applications from the field. Decisions are made by borough panels, which include "a representative of the Borough President, a representative of the borough's City Council delegation, and other panelists representative of the diversity of the City's cultural community."

The Bronx, Queens, and Staten Island panels have already made their recommendations for FY 2004. The Brooklyn committee is meeting Friday, April 4. Manhattan panel meetings have not been scheduled.

Technology. DCA is working with the Department of Information Technology and Telecommunications to "revamp the agency's Web site, and to develop an online application process that will...enable our organizations to apply and submit reports electronically." The department is also "beginning to develop a body of statistical information about the cultural community that will demonstrate more effectively the economic and other civic contributions that arts and culture make to our city."

Space. Commissioner Levin stated that DCA is also "seeking ways of...finding and keeping affordable space." She cited the East Fourth Street project in Manhattan, a group of 12 cultural organizations which are proposing to purchase and renovate their City-owned buildings. The department is "working with the Department of Housing Preservation and Development to identify other possible venues for cultural organizations in HPD-sponsored projects."

Commissioner Levin also mentioned two Web sites that list rental facilities for rehearsals and performances for music and dance--www.nycmusicplaces.org and www.nycdanceplaces.org (still under construction)

Insurance. To address rising insurance costs, DCA has "analyzed extensive information from the CIGs regarding policy deductibles...[B]ased on this information, we have begun working with a major insurance broker to identify savings on insurance premiums in the areas of general liability, property and umbrella insurance."

Marketing. DCA is analyzing the impact of Winter Festival 2003 on visitorship and the economy. Commissioner Levin cited the collaboration between DCA and eight cultural organizations in Long Island City that, together with local artists, have "formed a group called the Long Island City Cultural Alliance...whose goal is to form a cultural district and promote Long Island City as a destination for New Yorkers and tourists." She mentioned the Heart of Brooklyn, which is a "newly incorporated organization that represents a unique consortium among major Brooklyn organizations including the Botanic Garden, Children's Museum and Brooklyn Museum of Art." She also cited a variety of trolleys which have been organized to link neighborhood cultural organizations. These trolleys are the Bronx Culture Trolley, the Heart of Brooklyn Trolley, the Queens Flushing Town Hall Trolley, and the Artlink Shuttle, which links MoMA's 53rd Street site with seven other Long Island City institutions.

Security. Commissioner Levin testified that DCA is "working with the New York City Police Department to structure an ongoing exchange of information about this topic with the cultural community." The department is also looking at "the need for investment in security infrastructure when reviewing long-planned modernization and expansion projects."

Percent for Art. Commissioner Levin drew attention to the 20th anniversary of Percent for Art which, since its inception, has commissioned and completed 175 works of public art. Fifty-one additional projects are currently in the works. Past projects include the Mierle Ukeles project entitled Honor 2000 at Engine Company 75 in the Bronx, and the Siah Armajani Lighthouse and Bridge in Staten Island.

OVERSIGHT HEARING ON ARTS EDUCATION

Tuesday, April 8, 2003 at 10 a.m. in the City Council Chambers

This is a joint hearing of the Committee on Cultural Affairs, Libraries & International Intergroup Relations, José Serrano (District 17, Bronx), Chairperson, and the Committee on Education, Eva Moskowitz (District 4, Manhattan), Chairperson.
For more information: call (212) 788-7384.

IMPACT OF THE WAR

In an effort to assess the affect the war in Iraq is having on New York City's cultural organizations, the Alliance is conducting an e-mail survey of more than 800 cultural leaders. The Alliance will issue a report shortly.

PEOPLE

Kermit Frazier has been appointed Acting President of the Fredrick Douglass Creative Arts Center. Fred Hudson, long time President/Artistic Director and Founder of the center passed away on February 13, 2003.

Philip L. Willis became Executive Director of the Center for Traditional Music and Dance on February 26, succeeding Ethel Raim, the center's co-founder, who will remain as Artistic Director.

This column is an ongoing feature of the Alliance for the Arts Newsletter. Please submit suggestions to advocacynews@allianceforarts.org


POEM IN YOUR POCKET

In celebration of National Poetry Month, the office of the Mayor, Department of Cultural Affairs, Department of Education, and City University of New York have collaborated with The New York Times for Poem in Your Pocket Day on April 11, 2003. A poem will be published each day in The Times from April 2 to 10. For more information, www.nyc.gov.

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