IN THE NEWS

NEW YORK CITY BUDGET ADOPTED
Based on an agreement between the City Council and Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg, the Department of Cultural Affairs budget for FY 2007 is $151.9 million. This is an increase of $35.9 million from the Executive Budget and is up $20.8 million, or 14 percent, from the 2006 budget. DCA funds include $4 million for security increases at cultural institutions citywide and $1.9 million for the Cultural Development Fund. (A $12 million increase for rising energy costs at City institutions was previously included in the Executive Budget.)

The 2007 Capital Budget includes $233.5 million for building projects at 196 cultural institutions.

The budget also includes $6.5 million for Children's After School Adventures (CASA), an after-school program at cultural institutions administered by the Youth Services Department.

SENATE APPROVES LEVEL FUNDING FOR NEA AND NEH
On June 29, the Senate appropriations committee approved level funding for the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) and the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH), at $124.4 million and $141 million respectively. For more information, go to the Americans for the Arts Web site, www.artsusa.org.

DCA GRANT APPLICATIONS DUE JULY 24
The Department of Cultural Affairs is inviting cultural organizations to apply for its Public Service Award grants, which are awarded on a competitive basis for public programs. Applications are due July 24.

NEW ARTS BUILDINGS EXHIBIT OPENS JULY 19
City of Culture, an exhibition curated by the Alliance for the Arts in cooperation with the American Institute of Architects New York Chapter, will be on view at the Center for Architecture from July 19 to September 7.

Center for Architecture
536 LaGuardia Place (between Bleecker and West Third Streets)
From museums and concert halls to gardens and historic monuments, this exhibition focuses on cutting-edge designs commissioned by cultural institutions in New York. Six projects--the New Museum of Contemporary Art on the Bowery, the renovation of the Bronx Zoo Lion House, the new Administrative and Visitors' Center at the Queens Botanical Garden, the Weeksville Heritage Center Education Building and Interpretive Landscapes, the restoration of the Snug Harbor Cultural Center Music Hall on Staten Island, and the transformation of Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts--are offered as case studies illustrating the influence of the arts industry and innovative architecture on the revitalization of institutions, neighborhoods and our city. For more information, click here.

PEOPLE
Elise Bernhardt has been named executive director of the National Foundation for Jewish Culture. Ms. Bernhardt has been the artistic advisor for City Center's Fall for Dance Festival since its inception in 2004, and was previously the executive director at The Kitchen. She was the founding director of Dancing in the Streets.

CALENDAR

SUMMER PLAY FESTIVAL PRESENTS NEW WORK
The Summer Play Festival's third annual play series runs July 5-30. The SPF series features a total of 15 premieres during the course of the month. For details on SPF and the works being presented go to www.spfnyc.com. Members of the Alliance's Friends of the Arts, the advocacy support group that supports the Wagner Fellowship and other advocacy and public policy work, receive free admission for selected dates. For information, contact Esther McGowan at (212) 947-6340 or emcgowan@allianceforarts.org. For details on how to become a Friend of the Arts click here.

CITY PARKS FOUNDATION PRESENTS FREE ARTS PROGRAMS IN PARKS
The City Parks Foundation (CPF) is again sponsoring CityParks Theater with Time Warner, an annual summertime program of free theater in New York City public parks beginning July 15 with Shakespeare's As You Like It, and CityParks Dance, a citywide dance festival which includes free classes in public parks beginning July 29 in Jackie Robinson Park, Manhattan. For schedules of these two festivals visit www.cityparksfoundation.org. CPF also hosts concerts and events at SummerStage in Central Park throughout the summer. For more information go to www.summerstage.org.

BASTILLE DAY STREET FAIR JULY 16
In celebration of Bastille Day, the French Institute/Alliance Française, French Tuesdays, The French-American Chamber of Commerce and the Committee of French-Speaking Societies will present a street fair on three blocks of 60th Street--Fifth Avenue to Lexington--from noon to 6:00 on Sunday, July 16. There will be food, music, dancing, and arts and crafts for children of all ages. FREE. For more information go to www.fiaf.org.