Recent State Funding Supports ArtsWestchester’s Mission to Keep Arts Accessible

In a year when artists and cultural groups are working harder than ever to keep creativity thriving, new state support is on the way for Westchester and Rockland counties. The New York State Council on the Arts (NYSCA) has awarded $349,578 to ArtsWestchester. This is funding that will help sustain local creators and cultural organizations through 2026 and 2027. NYSCA — whose mission is to foster and advance arts, culture and creativity throughout New York State — will distribute more than $161 million statewide in FY 2026, reaching organizations and artists across the state.

As ArtsWestchester CEO Kathleen Reckling explains, this latest award underscores the importance of statewide partnerships: “As a statewide community regrant partner with NYSCA, this award ensures that ArtsWestchester can support transformative creative projects in Westchester and Rockland counties in 2026 and 2027.” She adds that in a challenging year for the arts, the support “reaffirms New York State as a leader in fostering a vibrant arts and culture sector.”

State funding also plays a central role in ArtsWestchester’s Arts Alive grants, which have long provided a foundation for community-based work. Erika Mallin, Executive Director of NYSCA, emphasizes the broader significance of this investment: “We know this support isn’t just an investment in the arts; it’s an investment in New York’s future.”

One artist who has felt the impact of that support is Chioma Nwana, a White Plains–based photographer whose recent project exploring the history and culture of Black communities in White Plains was supported by an Arts Alive grant. Earlier funding enabled her to present the documentary without charging admission. “The grant enabled me to offer free entry to the show without worrying about recouping losses or breaking even,” says Nwana. Accessibility, she notes, was essential: “A lot of times, the people who inspire the art are excluded from the conversation.”

That same support helps fuel live performance, particularly events that introduce audiences to a range of cultural traditions. Todd Isler, a Croton-on-Hudson–based artist, used previous state funding to produce a concert at the Croton Free Library that blended Japanese and American musical influences. The experience, he says, reaffirmed something important: “My takeaway from this is a reminder of how vital and important it is to share live music with people. There’s no substitute for real, live art, in whatever form it takes.”

Governor Kathy Hochul describes these grants as part of a larger commitment to the state’s cultural identity. “New York’s arts and culture sector is a cornerstone of the state’s identity, and we’re making bold investments to ensure it remains strong,” she says. The support, she notes, will “lift up artists and organizations in every region, fueling local economies and expanding access to the arts.”

Even as statewide arts funding remains only one piece of a much larger picture, the award reinforces ArtsWestchester’s ongoing role in keeping local creativity accessible and community-focused.

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_{Top photo: ArtsWestchester CEO Kathleen Reckling and NYSCA Executive Director Erika Mallin}