AFTA Journal

Announcing the release of NYC ARTS Cultural Guides for Seniors

The following release was distributed to the the media on July 19, 2011.

SPEAKER QUINN, COUNCIL MEMBERS BREWER, LAPPIN AND VAN BRAMER, AND CULTURAL AFFAIRS COMMISSIONER LEVIN ANNOUNCE THE RELEASE OF THE NYC ARTS CULTURAL GUIDE FOR SENIORS

Free guides available for download at www.NYC-ARTS.org/seniors, presented to the City of New York in the North Galleria of the American Museum of Natural History.

Five guides organized by each borough of New York City include comprehensive information about special programming for seniors, senior discounts and disability access at cultural institutions of all kinds.

July 19, 2011--City Council Speaker Christine C. Quinn; Council Members Gale A. Brewer, Jessica Lappin and Jimmy Van Bramer; New York City Department of Cultural Affairs Commissioner Kate D. Levin; President of the American Museum of Natural History, Ellen Futter; and Alliance for the Arts Chairman J.P. Versace, Jr. today announced the release of the NYC ARTS Cultural Guide for Seniors, a significant step towards removing barriers to accessing the arts for New York City's aging population and their caregivers.

The NYC ARTS Cultural Guides for Seniors were developed in cooperation with the City of New York, which has declared its commitment to make the city friendlier to senior citizens through its program Age-Friendly NYC: Enhancing Our City's Livability for older New Yorkers. The guides contain information about more than 300 cultural organizations, organized by borough. They offer brief descriptions of the groups as well as detail more than 85 programs for seniors, and many discounts for seniors--from admission prices to memberships. The guides also include information regarding accessibility for those with sight, hearing or mobility challenges.

"It's important that we meet the social and recreational needs of the city's older adults," said Council Speaker Christine C. Quinn. "We're presenting these resources today in an effort to promote active aging and help elderly New Yorkers stay as engaged as possible. I hope many seniors will take advantage of these wonderful, free or low-cost, cultural and recreational offerings."

"People choose to live here, in New York City, in large part because of our cultural gems. But many seniors are on fixed incomes," said Council Member Jessica Lappin. "The NYC ARTS Cultural Guides for Seniors will help older New Yorkers take advantage of what our great city has to offer. I am proud to sponsor this publication, which should make the arts more accessible to older New Yorkers."

"Through the New York Academy of Medicine's study of the Upper West Side Age-Friendly District, we found that one of the biggest priorities for West Siders actively choosing to age in place is the availability of affordable cultural programming and institutions," said Council Member Gale A. Brewer. "The NYC ARTS Cultural Guides for Seniors is a wonderful tool for older adults to learn more about the available programs and offers throughout the city and for our cultural institutions to reinforce their support for all ages, while reaching new audiences."

"As Chair of the Cultural Affairs and Libraries Committee, I am always happy to be a part of initiatives that bring more cultural experiences to our communities. These guides provide seniors the information they need to sample some of the amazing cultural offerings that New York provides," said Council Member Jimmy Van Bramer.

"The expanded Alliance for the Arts Cultural Guides for Seniors are a wonderful asset for New York City," said Cultural Affairs Commissioner Kate D. Levin. "Thanks to this public-private partnership, these guides will help to improve quality of life for our vital senior population and grow audiences for more than 300 arts organizations across the five boroughs."

"The museum is a strong supporter of life-long learning and provides opportunities for seniors to engage with nature and human culture, and thereby to explore and better understand many of the scientific and cultural issues of our time," said Ellen V. Futter, President of the American Museum of Natural History. "The NYC ARTS guide is an excellent way to make local cultural institutions like ours even more accessible to seniors citywide."

" New York City holds an incredible wealth of cultural opportunities for its citizens and visitors," said Dennis White, President and CEO of MetLife Foundation. "Through our support of the NYC ARTS Cultural Guides for Seniors, we believe that more New Yorkers of all ages will have the information they need to experience and enjoy the cultural organizations at their doorsteps.

" J.P. Versace, Jr., Chairman of Alliance for the Arts, producer of the NYC ARTS Cultural Guide for Seniors, remarked, "These guides are an integral piece of the NYC ARTS strategy to deliver to New Yorkers and tourists alike the most comprehensive information about arts-related programming in New York City in the formats that suit them best. We are proud to offer this service to New York's aging population, and we are grateful to our dedicated funders for their ongoing support of these efforts."

The NYC ARTS Cultural Guides for Seniors was made possible by lead support from New York City Council member Jessica Lappin and MetLife Foundation. Additional funding provided by council members Gale A. Brewer and Daniel R. Garodnick, and Manhattan Borough President Scott M. Stringer. NYC ARTS is supported, in part, by the City of New York, Michael R. Bloomberg, Mayor, and the New York City Council, Christine C. Quinn, Speaker, and through the Department of Cultural Affairs, Kate D. Levin, Commissioner. Special thanks to Megan Flood (http://MeganFlood.com) for contributing the design of the cover of this publication and to the cultural organizations that supplied information.


About Alliance for the Arts
The Alliance for the Arts' mission is advocacy for the arts through research and audience development. NYC-ARTS.org and NYCkidsARTS.org are the most comprehensive resources of their kind. Both are centralized locations to access information about culture in New York and gateways to other cultural resources. The free NYC ARTSApps consist of the GPS-based NYC ARTS iPhone and iPad application, and the NYC ARTS calendar widget.


Contact
Alliance for the Arts:

Joe Harrell, Director of Marketing and Product Management
jharrell@allianceforarts.org
(212) 695-3940

Christina Knight, Editor and Director of Communications
cknight@allianceforarts.org
(646) 745-3294.

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