Today, U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand announced $287,000 in funding distributed by the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) to organizations in New York State. This funding will allow cultural organizations and nonprofits to support artists, musicians, exhibitions, educational programing, and public engagement and outreach to help grow these vital industries in communities across New York.
“New York State is the arts capital of America,” said Senator Gillibrand. “Amidst destructive cuts to funding for cultural institutions across the nation, I am pleased to start off the new year by announcing $287,000 in funding for organizations in New York. While this funding is by no means as high as it should be, these dollars are a meaningful investment in local organizations to advance art, music, and culture in our communities. I am proud to deliver this funding and will continue to fight to bring federal dollars home to New York.”
Recipients of NEA grants across various regions in New York are listed below:
Fiasco Theater (New York, NY) — $30,000
Funding will support artist fees and benefits for the development and production of The Verge by Susan Glaspell. Written in 1921 and set in New England, the play follows a woman grappling with modern American identity amid ancestral expectations. Fiasco Theater will reimagine the century-old work for contemporary audiences in New York City.
Alvin Ailey Dance Foundation, Inc. (New York, NY) — $60,000
Support will fund artist fees for Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater’s national tour celebrating America250. The tour will honor Ailey’s legacy through performances of Revelations, works set to music by Duke Ellington and Charlie Parker, and new premieres by Matthew Neenan, Earl Moseley, and Maya Garcia, reaching communities across the country.
Lubovitch Dance Foundation, Inc. (New York, NY) — $20,000
This grant will support the documentation and presentation of historic works from the Lar Lubovitch Dance Company. Developed in partnership with the Dance Heritage Coalition and the New York Public Library, the project includes new recordings of historic dances, oral histories, digitization of archival materials, and a restaging of Othello with American Ballet Theatre, expanding public access to American dance history.
Midtown Management Group, Inc. (New York, NY) — $39,000
Funding will support Inside Broadway’s touring musical Grand Old Flag, featuring the music of George M. Cohan. Designed for elementary and middle school students, the production blends American history with lessons on friendship and community, and it introduces students to live theater through performances, workshops, and post-show discussions.
Parsons Dance Foundation, Inc. (New York, NY) — $48,000
Support will fund new dance works by David Parsons and Mayte Natalio. Parsons’ site-specific piece About Sprouts will feature youth dancers alongside professionals at Battery Park, highlighting the site’s Revolutionary War history. Natalio will premiere a new work inspired by America250, alongside student performances, talkbacks, and sensory-friendly workshops.
DreamYard Project, Inc. (Bronx, NY) — $30,000
This grant will support poetry residencies for youth in underserved Bronx communities. Guided by teaching artists, students will write and perform original poems, participate in open mics and competitions, and explore identity, heritage, and visions for the future through poetry in connection with America250.
Strawtown Art & Garden Studio Inc. (New City, NY) — $15,000
Funding will support free after-school and outdoor visual arts programs for youth in Haverstraw. Students will combine artmaking with environmental exploration, examining historical symbols, Indigenous history, and our founding documents before creating their own personal symbols using traditional materials like feather, quill, and ink.
Steven Myron Holl Foundation, Inc. (Rhinebeck, NY) — $25,000
Support will fund a commissioned sculptural installation by artist Anne Lindberg at ‘T’ Space in Rhinebeck. Inspired by the Hudson River School, the immersive exhibition will explore perception, place, and American identity through thousands of colored threads woven into architectural space, alongside poetry, artist talks, and youth workshops.
Corning-Elmira Musical Arts, Inc. (Corning, NY) — $20,000
This grant will support a free outdoor symphony concert by the Orchestra of the Southern Finger Lakes in Elmira’s Eldridge Park. The America250 celebration will feature a diverse program including folk, jazz, patriotic music, Broadway selections, and modern works, open to audiences across the region.
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