IN THE NEWS

MAYOR BLOOMBERG ANNOUNCES FINANCIAL PLAN
Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg announced the Financial Plan for fiscal year 2007 on January 31. For the Department of Cultural Affairs, the plan includes a 3.5 percent reduction applied to a baseline of $104.7 million, resulting in a proposed Expense Budget, including technical adjustments, of $101.6 million. This baseline excludes one-time additions to the current budget, which are allocated at the time of adoption. The current expense budget totals $136.8 million. Credit goes to Cultural Affairs Commissioner Kate D. Levin, who met the 1.7 percent target in the current year so that cultural organizations were spared further reductions. The projected capital appropriations for the Department of Cultural Affairs total $803 million.

GOVERNOR PROPOSES $2.6 MILLION NYSCA BUDGET INCREASE
Governor George E. Pataki's Executive Budget for 2006-2007, released January 17, includes $40 million for the New York State Council on the Arts, an increase of $2.6 million or 7 percent from last year's budget. The budget also provides funds for several building projects in New York City, including $18 million to restore the landmark Roosevelt Memorial Hall at the American Museum of Natural History; $12 million to the New York Public Library on Fifth Avenue, including $10 million to restore the façade and $2 million to renovate its Dorot Jewish Division; and $5 million for the New-York Historical Society to upgrade its auditorium and rare books library.

DANCE NEW AMSTERDAM OPENS
The open house for Dance New Amsterdam (DNA), formerly Dance Space Center, is scheduled for February 8 from 3 to 9 pm in the landmark Sun Building, 280 Broadway at Chambers Street. The DNA Opening Festival will include contemporary dance, education classes and visual arts exhibitions beginning in February and ending in June. The new center, which will officially open to the public on February 13, will have a 135-seat theater and six dance studios, plus an art gallery. For tickets and information, visit www.dnadance.org.

WARHOL FOUNDATION ANNOUNCES RELIEF GRANTS
In the aftermath of hurricanes Katrina and Rita, the Warhol Foundation gave grants totaling $750,000 to museums and arts groups on the Gulf Coast, which it announced January 11. Some of these funds will directly benefit individual artists.

NEWS AT THE ALLIANCE

ALEXANDRA MUNROE FIRST ASIAN ART CURATOR AT GUGGENHEIM
The Guggenheim Museum has appointed Alliance board member Alexandra Munroe, formerly the director of the Japan Society's Gallery, as its first senior curator of Asian art. This makes Ms. Munroe the first in-house Asian art curator at a museum whose focus is contemporary art in the United States.

PEOPLE

Alice Greenwald becomes the director of the World Trade Center Memorial Foundation effective April 17. Ms. Greenwald is currently the associate museum director for museum programs at the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum in Washington, D.C.

Gerald Hastings is the new executive director of Lincoln Center Development Project. Mr. Hastings was previously vice president, operations and concert halls at Lincoln Center. Katherine G. Farley is the new chairwoman of the Development Project.

Rebecca Robertson has been appointed president and CEO of the Seventh Regiment Armory Conservancy, which is planning new cultural uses of the historic building. Previously Ms. Robertson was the executive director of Lincoln Center Development Project.

Jay Wegman is the new director of arts at the Abrons Art Center at Henry Street Settlement. Mr. Wegman was formerly the director of the arts program at the Cathedral of St. John the Divine.

CALENDAR

NYS ARTS ADVOCACY WEEK FEB 27-MARCH 5
ARTS DAY IN ALBANY MARCH 7
New York State Arts Advocacy Week leads up to Arts Day in Albany on March 7, and has separate legislative breakfasts, media campaigns and meetings by state district. Arts Day in Albany will be held in the legislative office building. The event provides an opportunity for individuals to advocate for funding for the New York State Council on the Arts.

ARTS ADVOCACY DAY IN WASHINGTON, D.C. MARCH 13-14
Arts Advocacy Day will be held March 13 to 14. Sponsored by Americans for the Arts, this is an annual gathering of cultural leaders intended to educate members of Congress about the importance of federal support for the arts.