ALLIANCE REPORT ON FINANCIAL HEALTH OF CULTURAL SECTOR

At a City Council budget hearing on March 18, the Alliance for the Arts released a preview of a survey on the nonprofit cultural economy entitled The Health of New York City's Cultural Institutions. The study examines the effects of September 11 and the recession on the financial health of nonprofit cultural institutions. It details the stresses that the recent downturn has put on these organizations, but also the consequences of those stresses, including reductions in programs and employees. The full report will be published later this month.

CITY COUNCIL CALLS FOR INCREASE IN CULTURAL BUDGET

On Monday, March 29, the New York City Council presented a formal response to the FY 2005 Preliminary Budget. The Council calls for an increase in the Department of Cultural Affairs expense budget of $12.5 million. This amount added to the Mayor's preliminary budget proposal of $98.5 million would bring the DCA budget to $111 million. This figure is still $7.4 million below the current budget of $118.4 million.

The January 2004 Preliminary Budget and Financial Plan indicated the DCA expense budget baseline for FY 2005 would be raised from $93.6 million to $98.5 million. On March 18, in her testimony before the City Council Committee on Cultural Affairs, Libraries & International Intergroup Relations, Commissioner Kate D. Levin suggested that the baseline could rise even higher "to at least $100 million in the Executive Budget."

In its budget response, the City Council also proposed nearly a two-fold increase in the DCA capital budget for FY 2005. This would increase the capital budget from $82 million to $157 million, an increase of $75 million. $50 million of the increase would be dedicated to a proposed new "Asset Management Program" which will address the basic infrastructural needs of institutions housed in City-owned buildings. The remaining $25 million would be dedicated to a new Revolving Capital Loan Fund for small cultural organizations.

The Cultural Affairs Budget currently amounts to 0.27 percent of the total New York City Budget (see chart below.)

The next step in the City budget process is the release of the Executive Budget in late April.

AT THE ALLIANCE

Fourth Annual Benefit

The Alliance will honor Martin E. Segal on May 10 at the Rainbow Room celebrating his many contributions to the arts and his leadership in the establishment of the Department of Cultural Affairs in 1976. For more information, or to purchase tickets please call the Alliance at (212) 947-6340 or e-mail to benefit@allianceforarts.org. New Directors
The Alliance is pleased to announce that it has elected two new Directors to its Board:
J.P. Versace, Jr., Director of Corporate and Public Affairs for Microsoft in the New York metropolitan region.

Paul Washington Vice President, Office of the Chairman and CEO, and Corporate Secretary, Time Warner Inc.

CALL TO CULTURAL ORGANIZATIONS
Your response is needed to the Alliance's Arts Education Census. The Arts Education Census will give a comprehensive understanding of the many educational services that cultural organizations provide their local communities.

STATUE OF LIBERTY TO REOPEN IN SUMMER 2004

The Statue of Liberty will partially reopen in August 2004. Visitors will be able to enter the museum and the observation deck but not the interior of the Statue itself. The Statue was closed after September 11, 2001 and has remained closed even though visits to the island resumed in December 2001.

BROOKLYN MUSEUM OPENS NEW PLAZA ENTRANCE APRIL 17

The Brooklyn Museum will open its renovated front entrance and new public plaza on Saturday, April 17. The entrance and plaza were designed by Polshek Partnership Architects.

NEW YORK BOTANICAL GARDEN OPENS NEW VISITOR CENTER MAY 1

The New York Botanical Garden will open its new visitor center pavilions on May 1. The visitor center was designed by Hardy Holzman Pfeiffer Associates Architects.

PEOPLE

Carol M. Browner is the newly elected chair of the National Audubon Society, effective immediately. Ms. Browner was formerly the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency.

Vishakha N. Desai, currently director of the Asia Society Museum, becomes the president of the Asia Society on July 1. She will replace Nicholas Platt, who is retiring after 12 years.

Paul Goldberger is the new dean of the Parsons School of Design. Mr. Goldberger remains the architecture critic for The New Yorker.

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

CALENDAR

APRIL IS NATIONAL POETRY MONTH

National Poetry Month brings together publishers, booksellers, literary organizations, libraries, schools and poets from around the country to celebrate poetry and its vital place in American culture. For National Poetry Month 2004, the New York-based Academy of American Poets will launch the National Poetry Almanac, a year-long calendar of activities designed to promote poetry. It is available online at the Academy's Web site.

ARTS & BUSINESS WORKSHOPS--APRIL 8, 22

The Arts and Business Council will present two National Arts Marketing Project Workshops in April: on April 8, Unlocking The Puzzle: Creating An Effective Marketing Plan, and on April 22, Two Sets of Tools: Writing for Public Relations and for Marketing. The basic marketing workshops are specially designed for executive directors, marketing managers and development professionals at small to mid-sized organizations as well as more junior staff at larger organizations. For more information and to register, click here.

JPMORGAN CHASE FUND FOR SMALL THEATRES

Applications are now available for the 2004 grant cycle of The JPMorgan Chase Fund for Small Theatres. The fund makes grants to theater companies in New York City with budgets between $100,000 and $500,000. Applicants must be members of A.R.T./New York. Applications may be requested by mail or email. Completed applications are due at A.R.T./New York offices by 5 pm on Friday, May 14. For more information contact Mary Harpster at (212) 244-6667 x225 or by e-mail at mharpster@art-newyork.org.