ArtsWestchester Awards More Than $550,000 in Grants to Local Groups

ArtsWestchester Awards More Than $550,000 in Grants to Local Groups

WHITE PLAINS, NEW YORK (July 10, 2023) – ArtsWestchester will award more than $550,000 in grants to 164 groups in Westchester and Rockland counties through a New York State Senate Arts Initiative.

The funding has been made available by State Senate Majority Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins to enable ArtsWestchester to expand its support of cultural programs in community sites such as libraries, parks and schools.

New York Senate Majority Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins explains, “It’s important to note that across the nation, 72% of Americans believe ‘the arts unify our communities regardless of age, race, and ethnicity’ and 73% agree that art ‘helps me understand other cultures better.’” She continues, “Our vibrant arts community adds so much value to Westchester; art brings joy and works to unite us all. I am proud that, under my leadership, the Senate has made unprecedented investments in the arts throughout the County and State.”

ArtsWestchester CEO Janet T. Langsam says “This critical state funding which puts decision-making through ArtsWestchester at the local level allows us to reach into every corner of the community and deepen our commitment to accessibility and equity. Grantees include 65 first-time awards to area artists and arts groups.”

“Now, more than ever, it is essential to recognize how the arts live in our communities and neighborhoods with measurable impact to our personal and economic health,” says New York State Council on the Arts Executive Director Mara Manus.

Award recipients include a poetry workshop at The Loft in White Plains; an African dance community program led at the New Rochelle Public Library; and an environmentally themed photography exhibition at the Yonkers Riverfront Library.

The Statewide Community Regrants Program (known as ArtsWestchester’s Arts Alive grant program) is a regrant program administered by the New York State Council on the Arts with the support of the Governor’s Office and the New York State Legislature.

Contact: Ernie Garcia | ernie@thompson-bender.com

About ArtsWestchester

For more than 50 years, ArtsWestchester has been the community’s connection to the arts. Founded in 1965, it is the largest private not-for-profit arts council in New York State. Its mission is to create an equitable, inclusive, vibrant and sustainable Westchester County in which the arts are integral to and integrated into every facet of life. ArtsWestchester provides programs and services that enrich the lives of everyone in Westchester County. ArtsWestchester helps fund concerts, exhibitions and plays through grants; brings artists into schools and community centers; advocates for the arts; and builds audiences through diverse marketing initiatives. In 1998, ArtsWestchester purchased the nine-story neo-classical bank building at 31 Mamaroneck Avenue which has since been transformed into a multi-use resource for artists, cultural organizations and the community. A two-story gallery is located on the first floor of ArtsWestchester’s historic building on Mamaroneck Avenue. Artsw.org

About the New York State Council on the Arts

The mission of the New York State Council on the Arts is to foster and advance the full breadth of New York State’s arts, culture, and creativity for all. To support the ongoing recovery of the arts across New York State, the Council on the Arts will award $127 million in FY 2024. The Council on the Arts further advances New York’s creative culture by convening leaders in the field and providing organizational and professional development opportunities and informational resources. Created by Governor Nelson Rockefeller in 1960 and continued with the support of Governor Kathy Hochul and the New York State Legislature, the Council is an agency that is part of the Executive Branch. For more information on NYSCA, please visit www.arts.ny.gov, and follow NYSCA’s Facebook page, Twitter @NYSCArts and Instagram @NYSCouncilontheArts