Hyperallergic – A proposed budget cut that would slash more than half of the funding for the New York State Council on the Arts (NYSCA) would be detrimental to the state’s creative economy, particularly for Black, Indigenous, Latine, Asian, and all communities of color. The arts are a vital part of our culture and identity and play a significant role in our local and state economic viability. According to the Bureau of Economic Analysis, the arts and cultural sector contributed $877 billion to the US economy in 2017, more than the construction, transportation, or warehousing industries. In New York, the arts generate $120 billion in economic activity and support nearly 466,000 jobs, according to the Comptroller’s Report on the Creative Economy.
Arts entities led by Black, Indigenous, Latine, Asian, and all people of color are critical to this economic and cultural contribution. They provide unique perspectives and experiences that enrich our communities and contribute to the diversity of culture for which New York is known. Arts entities of color across New York State, such as Seneca Iroquois National Museum in Salamanca and the North Country Underground Railroad Historical Association in Ausable Chasm, preserve the rich history of New York’s Indigenous and African-American communities. Organizations like the Borinquen Dance Theater in Rochester and Teatro Yerbabruja in Bay Shore keep the vibrant traditions of our Latine community alive while sharing them with visitors from around the world. However, these entities and countless others have traditionally been underfunded and underrepresented in the distribution of city and state funding. This proposed budget cut for NYSCA funding would exacerbate this problem and further marginalize these organizations.
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