INTRODUCTION

The threat of the so-called "Doomsday Budget" seems to have passed, as the Mayor and City Council have agreed on a series of revenue enhancements for fiscal 2004. Still, the reductions proposed for the Cultural Affairs Department are the greatest in more than a decade.

The City Council declared its intention to restore the cuts in the January Financial Plan, but it now faces the greater challenge of making the Cultural Affairs budget whole in light of the $28.9 million cut proposed in the Executive Budget. The cultural community is working to encourage the Council members in variety of ways, including appearing at budget hearings in each borough and before the Cultural Affairs Committee on May 27.

Citywide public awareness efforts range from the New York City Arts Coalition breakfast on May 15, to a postcard campaign organized by the Cultural Institutions Group and the Alliance for the Arts (see below).

It is important that elected officals hear from average New Yorkers who are willing to have their tax dollars go to cultural institutions and programs.

Randall Bourscheidt, President

CALL TO ACTION

The Alliance and the Cultural Institutions Group have cooperated on a public awareness campaign detailing "6 Reasons Why the Arts and Culture Are Important to New York City." CIG institutions in every borough are distributing 50,000 cards to the public.

FY 2004 BUDGET

The Mayor's Executive Budget proposes a $94.2 million allocation to the Department of Cultural Affairs, which represents a $28.9 million reduction (24 percent) from the FY '04 base of $123.1 million. (This number reflects the elimination of the current year's City Council one-time add-ons.) Note that the $2 million Cultural Challenge program was permanently eliminated in FY '04.

Capital Budget
For the five-year period FY 2003 through FY 2007, the FY 2004 Executive Budget is $564.6 million in funding for the 86 cultural organizations that have allocations in DCA's capital program. The September commitment plan contained $788.6 million for the same five-year period.

WAR IMPACT SURVEY

The Alliance surveyed the cultural community in mid-April on the effects of the war in Iraq. Most groups reported a significant negative impact on income and attendance, especially those reliant on school groups. School visits declined significantly due to heightened security warnings still in effect for New York City. (Approximately one-third of the respondents said that there was no change to attendance, admissions, ticket sales, or contributions, while 20 percent said that there was no change to income.)

PEOPLE

André Allaire became Director of Development for the Alliance for the Arts, leaving the New York Public Library.

Jo-Ann Jones, founder of the Flushing Council on the Arts, leaves Flushing Town Hall to pursue independent consulting.

Walter Thinnes becomes Vice-President of the Frederic P. Rose Hall for Jazz at Lincoln Center, leaving the New York State Theater effective June 27. (Jazz's new home on Columbus Circle opens fall 2004.)

Peter Trippi becomes the Director of the Dahesh Museum of Art, leaving the Brooklyn Museum of Art effective May 12.

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

WORLD TRADE CENTER SITE MEMORIAL COMPETITION

The Lower Manhattan Development Corporation announced the selection of a 13-member jury for the World Trade Center Site Memorial Competition. The following were appointed members of the jury:
Paula Grant Berry, member, LMDC Families Advisory Council
Susan Freedman, President, Public Art Fund
Vartan Gregorian, President, Carnegie Corporation of New York
Patricia Harris, Deputy Mayor for Administration
Maya Lin, Architect and installation artist
Michael McKeon, Managing Director, Mercury Public Affairs
Julie Menin, President and founder, Wall Street Rising
Enrique Norten, Founder, Taller de Enrique Norten Arquictectos S.C. (TEN Arquitectos)
Martin Puryear, Artist
Nancy Rosen, Art advisor
Lowery Stokes Sims, Executive Director, The Studio Museum in Harlem
Michael Van Valkenburgh, Architect
James Young, Professor and Chair of the Department of Judaic & Near Eastern Studies, University of Massachusetts, Amherst
Honorary Member: David Rockefeller, Philanthropist, business leader

More information at www.wtcsitememorial.org

IN THE NEWS

A feature article on the financial crisis of NYC cultural groups appeared in The Washington Post on April 28. (link to article)

An article describing the effects of the proposed DCA budget reductions on certain cultural institutions appeared in The Daily News on May 3.