ArtsWestchester Announces Grants for Artists & Arts Organizations
Contact: Ernie Garcia, ernie@thompson-bender.com
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
ArtsWestchester Seeks Grant Applications for More Than $500K in Funds Made Possible by the New York State Senate
WHITE PLAINS, NEW YORK (February 8, 2024) – ArtsWestchester announced today that the application portal for the 2024 Arts Alive grant program is open for funding requests from nonprofit groups and individual artists in Westchester and Rockland counties for arts projects. This grant program is made possible through a New York State Senate Arts Initiative. Applications to ArtsWestchester to support cultural activities are being accepted now through March 14, 2024.
Funding for this Statewide Community Regrants Program (known as ArtsWestchester’s Arts Alive grant program) has been made available by New York State Senate Majority Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins through the New York State Council on the Arts budget to enable ArtsWestchester and other arts councils throughout the state to expand support of cultural programs in community sites such as libraries, parks and schools. Stewart-Cousins had the vision to invest in the recovery of New York’s arts sector post-pandemic by allocating $10 million to ArtsWestchester and other arts councils in Syracuse, Buffalo, the Capital Regions and others in other counties throughout the state beginning in 2023.
ArtsWestchester CEO Janet T. Langsam says, “The arts sector was one of the hardest hit sectors in Westchester and across the nation after the pandemic. With these grants, we are hoping to stimulate more local economic development and community engagement in the arts by reaching new audiences.”
Westchester County Board of Legislator Chairman Vedat Gashi says, “My fellow Legislators and I are happy to support opportunities like the Arts Alive grant program that keeps a significant sector of our economy growing. These programs are vital to Westchester cultural organizations, artists, and residents who benefit from access to high-quality arts and cultural programming in our communities.
According to State Majority Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins, the arts sector is an important part of the State’s economy generating more than $119.9 Billion each year, representing 7.8% of the state’s GDP.
Majority Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins explains, “My fellow senators and I believe that the regional and local regrant sites are a very important part of the arts support landscape. Their vast knowledge of their locality, and allocating these funds through a pristine panel process, ensures that communities across the State benefit from local decision-making and that all our State’s residents are being offered high quality arts, cultural and heritage programs. Last year, 861 organizations and artists were funded by the seven arts councils in New York State advancing cultural equity and inclusion through the state’s diverse roster of awardees.”
ArtsWestchester’s current Arts Alive grant opportunity is open to not-for-profit organizations including arts agencies, historical sites and heritage programs, and cultural entities. Grants are also open to human service and community agencies including those whose work is about human services, health, church, neighborhood cultivation, child care and education among others, that have arts programing. Additionally, applications are also open for individual artists, musicians and performers, teaching artists, school arts teachers K-12, and arts faculty.
New York Senate Majority Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins says, “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 and beyond; 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.”
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.
Arts Alive Grant applications from arts groups and artists can be submitted until March 14, 2024 through ArtsWestchester’s grant website.
For more info, visit: https://artswestchester.org/grants/