TESTIMONY
David Johnston, Development Director at the Jazz Gallery, on the Essential Role of the Jazz Gallery in Preserving and Promoting Jazz Music in New York City
5:24:58
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129 sec
David Johnston testified about the vital contributions of the Jazz Gallery in presenting over 350 jazz concerts annually to over 12,000 in-person audiences since 1995, making the art form accessible through free tickets and educational programs.
- The Jazz Gallery offers free tickets each month to students and provides educational programs in underserved communities.
- Johnston raised concerns over recent 20% budget cuts and funding delays that have forced the Gallery to pause or cut commissions and residencies.
- Despite navigating past crises without such severe cuts, the current funding situation makes it impossible to deliver programming as expected.
- Johnston advocated for a full $76 million restoration to DCLA to prevent catastrophic reductions and thanked Council Member Carlina Rivera for her support.
David Johnston
5:24:58
Good afternoon.
5:25:00
Thank you for the opportunity to testify here.
5:25:03
David Johnston, development director for the Jazz Gallery.
5:25:07
The Jazz Gallery presents over 350 concerts every year.
5:25:11
To in person audiences of over 12,000.
5:25:14
We've been bringing top quality jazz to New York City audiences since 1995.
5:25:20
We offer free tickets each month to students at the Institute for Collaborative Education.
5:25:26
We provide educational programs for the South Bronx to Charter School for International Cultures And The Arts.
5:25:33
We offer free tickets through CulturePass, free concerts, and Hudson Yards, and the financial district.
5:25:40
As everyone has stated, we are facing a crisis in this field.
5:25:44
In the past 2 budget cycles, we have been cut over 20%.
5:25:49
As our expenses have risen.
5:25:52
Delays in the funding have caused us to pause or cut commissions and residencies We're trying to plan budgets for the next fiscal year, and we don't know what we're getting, if anything, from the city.
5:26:08
I have to say I've worked over 20 years in this field, and I worked in fundraising through DCA and through 911 and anthrax and the great recession.
5:26:18
And superstorm Sandy and COVID, and at no point in any of those periods, was it suggested that the cultural sector should accept cuts of this magnitude that we have been dealing with in the last few years.
5:26:34
We cannot deliver our programming and our services to NYC audiences.
5:26:38
We cannot meet expectations in that way.
5:26:41
We call for a full restoration At 76,000,000, DCLA must have more capacity to deliver the funding on time and hold the line against these catastrophic reductions.
5:26:53
And I would like to take a moment to thank our city council representative, Carlina Rivera, who has been a great champion for the Jazz Gallery in the capital allocation process, and we thank her for her service on this committee.
