Media contact:

NYCInspiresCulture@gmail.com; 571-218-7601

Groups ask for increase of $40 million in operating support to sustain accessible cultural offerings that have inspired New Yorkers for generations

Online campaign shows how millions have been “Inspired By”

New York City cultural organizations

 Culture is an educational and economic engine for NYC

 Public can show support for culture and send a message to City Hall at

www.nycinspires.org

 Share stories of inspiration on social media using #NYCinspires

New York City – March 14, 2016 – Cultural organizations of all disciplines and in all five boroughs have launched a campaign asking City Hall to increase operating support in the next city budget.

New York City is home to more than 1,500 non-profit cultural organizations and millions of cultural audiences. New Yorkers and tourists alike are inspired every day by the city’s cultural offerings.

The campaign highlights cultural organizations of all kinds across the city and the means by which they have inspired their audiences. It tells the stories of individuals that were so inspired by culture as children that they have devoted their lives and careers to pursue a life that reflects those beginnings – bettering the city, their communities, and future generations of artists, musicians, performers, educators, curators, conservationists, scientists, and more.

“Non-profit cultural organizations would benefit hugely from what would be a very modest increase from the city,” said New York City Councilman Jimmy Van Bramer, Majority Leader, and Chairman of the Cultural Affairs Committee. “This is not a budget buster, and what culture groups provide to the public in the form of education, entertainment, enlightenment, and inspiration also happens to be a key economic driver for the city in terms of tourism, jobs, and economic impact. In other words, it’s a big bang for the buck and an investment in the future of New York City.”

One such example includes Daniel Silva, currently working as the registrar at the Museum of the Moving Image in Queens.  Daniel was born and raised in Spanish Harlem and the Bronx. As a child, he dreamed of living in a museum—or, as he got older, working in one. After interning in high school at the Metropolitan Museum of Art and the American Museum of Natural History, under the auspices of the New York City Museum School, and working with professors at Baruch College (CUNY) to create an art history major, Daniel went on to work at the Hispanic Society of America. Now, as the registrar at Museum of the Moving Image, he is making a career out of what inspired him as a child and cares for the nation's largest and most comprehensive collection of artifacts relating to film, television, and digital media.

Other examples of those inspired by New York City culture include a wildlife conservationist who was inspired as a child at the Wildlife Conservation Society’s Bronx Zoo; an art curator who grew up experiencing the totality of what New York City culture has to offer; and examples of entire art forms that were created in or substantially evolved from New York City influences.

The cultural organizations, large and small, are asking the city to allocate an additional $40 million to the Department of Cultural Affairs (DCLA) to be distributed between the Cultural Institutions Group (CIG) and the Cultural Development Fund (CDF). The new funds would provide the capacity for DCLA to increase funding for currently funded institutions and organizations, including underfunded groups and the five boroughs’ arts councils, which administer re-grants programs for individual artists, local organizations, and provides funding for additional cultural organization. The increase in operating support would go a long way to ensure that New York City remains the cultural capital of the world and continues to inspire future generations.

The campaign is encouraging everyone who has ever been inspired by culture to share their stories on social media using the hashtag #NYCinspires or to visit the website at www.nycinspires.org to send a message to City Hall in support of culture.

Accessible culture provides educational opportunities for families and communities. It drives tourism and economic activity to New York City neighborhoods. It provides inspiration and muse to the next generation of New Yorkers.

An investment in culture is an investment in New Yorkers. These organizations and individuals create jobs, attract customers to merchants, and generate revenue for small businesses. They stimulate the minds of the citizens and tourists and provide vital supplemental education to millions of New York City students. New York City's cultural community is a broad spectrum that includes performing arts centers, art galleries, dance troupes, orchestras, non-profit theater companies, museums, community arts programs, zoos, botanical gardens, and more.

Visit www.nycinspires.org for more information and to send a message of support.

Media Note:  Members of the media interested in speaking with a representative(s) from New York City’s cultural community should email NYCInspiresCulture@gmail.com to schedule an interview.

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