CELEBRITIES URGE COUNCIL TO RESTORE DCA CUTS

The Alliance and the Cultural Institutions Group were part of a ceremony before a meeting of the City Council on May 14 honoring Tim Robbins, Ruby Dee and Ossie Davis. The three were greeted by Speaker Gifford Miller and Cultural Affairs Chairman José M. Serrano. They received proclamations for their lifelong commitment to the arts in New York City and took the opportunity to urge the Council to restore the cuts to the Cultural Affairs budget.

NYC ARTS CELEBRATES SUMMER IN THE CITY

The Alliance will publish the summer 2003 edition of NYC ARTS: Cultural Guide & Calendar on June 9. As New York City's guide to museums, performance halls, theaters, zoos and gardens, NYC ARTS highlights hundreds of exhibitions, events and attractions in all five boroughs. A special feature of the 2003 edition is information on cultural destinations in New York State, including suggested day trips to Long Island and along the Hudson River Valley. Copies of the guide will be available at key points throughout the city, including airports, hotels, visitors centers, libraries, American Express Travel Offices, cultural institutions and The New York Times.

PARTNERSHIP PROMOTES NEW YORK STATE MUSEUMS

The Alliance for the Arts, the New York State Division of Tourism, the New York State Council on the Arts and the New York State Department of Education have partnered in a promotion of New York State art museums called "The Heart of Art."

The centerpiece of the promotion is the Heart of Art Culture Card, entitling cardholders to special offers and discounts at more than 50 participating museums. The card comes with a brochure with information and suggested itineraries for visiting museums and attractions throughout the state.

Culture Cards will be available to New Yorkers through several venues beginning in late June and to any child enrolling in the New York State Public Library Summer Reading Program. The Culture Card and Heart of Art brochure will also be distributed by participating museums and local tourism offices and through I LOVE NEW YORK (1-800-CALL-NYS).

NYSCA BUDGET REDUCED BY 15 PERCENT

New York State's recently passed 2003-2004 budget includes a 15 percent reduction for the New York State Council on the Arts. NYSCA's budget in the upcoming year will be $37.4 million, down from $44 million the prior year. The 15 percent cut will be applied evenly to each program area. Funding priority this fiscal year will be for the ongoing support categories within these program areas.

PEOPLE

Maxwell Anderson leaves the Whitney Museum to become a Leadership Fellow at the Chief Executive Leadership Institute at the Yale School of Management.

Henry Fogel becomes the President and CEO of the American Symphony Orchestra League, leaving the Chicago Symphony Orchestra Association effective July 1.

William C. Morris becomes President and CEO of the Metropolitan Opera.

Karen Treanor became Executive Director of the New York Expo of Independent Short Film and Video.

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

IN THE NEWS

The Detroit Free News featured an article by Robert L. Lynch, President and CEO of Americans for the Arts, discussing the economic importance of arts and culture to American cities. Link to Article.

Crain's New York featured an article on the effects of the budget cuts. Link to Article

The Daily News featured an editorial speaking in favor of restoration of the Cultural Affairs budget.

AROUND TOWN

In an ambitious new effort to coordinate cultural events organized by the Bronx Council on the Arts, four organizations are participating in First Wednesdays, a monthly tour on board the Bronx Culture Trolley. Starting the evening of June 4, three trolleys will depart from the Hostos Center for Arts and Culture and make stops at the Bronx Museum of the Arts, the Blue Ox and Storage Art Space, with special performances along the way. For more information, contact Sue Scannell (718) 931-9600 x.33 or visit www.bronxarts.org.

Two women in the arts were celebrated at the rededication of the restored Evangline Blashfield Fountain on June 3. The fountain, located at Bridgemarket Plaza on the Manhattan side of the Queensborough Bridge, is named after a founder of the Municipal Art Society. MAS, which was responsible for restoring the fountain, will also present the first Evangeline Blashfield Award to Patricia E. Harris, Deputy Mayor for Administration, for her work in saving a number of important public monuments while director of the Art Commission during the Koch administration. Deputy Mayor Harris currently oversees the Department of Cultural Affairs.

The New York City Arts Coalition held its annual City Council breakfast on May 15. City Council Members José M. Serrano and David Weprin were in attendance, as guest artist Danny Simmons, the driving force behind the Rush Philanthropic Arts Foundation and Def Poetry Jam on Broadway, and other cultural leaders called on the City Council to restore the proposed cuts to the Cultural Affairs budget.

NEWS FROM THE ALLIANCE

The Alliance for the Arts is happy to announce the following staff additions and changes:

Arianne Burger is the new Robert F. Wagner, Jr. Fellow in Public Policy and the Arts

Abby Freireich is the new Managing Editor for Publications

Brennan Gerard is the new Editor of Publications.