TESTIMONY
Ryan Gilliam, Executive Director of FABnyc and Community Board Member, on Supporting Arts, Culture, and Communities in the Lower East Side
5:01:38
·
145 sec
Gilliam advocates for increased funding and support for arts and culture initiatives in the Lower East Side neighborhood.
- She speaks on behalf of FABnyc's 45 cultural organization members as well as Community Board 3
- Gillam asks for restored budgets for libraries, arts, and culture
- Specific requests include more funding for small/midsize cultural groups serving communities of color, activating public spaces, affordable workspace for artists, reimagining the artist core program, and rebuilding the Chateau cultural hub
- Gilliam emphasizes the need for both basic necessities ('bread') and cultural enrichment ('roses') for a fulfilling community life
Ryan Gilliam
5:01:38
My name is Ryan Gillum.
5:01:40
I'm an artist an organizer.
5:01:42
I lead Fabonyc, which has a membership of 45 cultural organizations in the Lower A side.
5:01:49
But today, I'm actually here because I'm a community board member.
5:01:54
And the community board has asked me to bring their voice here.
5:01:59
And I really feel special about that because many of the voices that we do hear are from arts organizations, cultural organizations fighting for themselves, and sometimes we don't have lots of other allies in the room.
5:02:14
And so it makes a difference to me that the community board asked me to come and speak for them.
5:02:21
They wanna support you in every way in these requests to restore budgets to both libraries and to arts and culture.
5:02:32
And they have some specific things that are on their minds, including more funding for small and midsize cultural organizations, particularly those serving communities color, more support for cultural activation of public spaces, parks, streets, and plazas, more affordable workspace for artists.
5:02:52
A reimagining of the artist core program which supported individual artists and cultural producers during the pandemic, and city leadership in rebuilding Chateau, which was a cultural hub in Moistada, and which this community would like to see become a cultural hub again.
5:03:11
So believe me when I tell you that the lower east side has many needs, But when Community Board 3 puts together its annual statement of needs, they have never left arts and culture off of that list.
5:03:23
I think there are a lot of people in this room who would understand these words.
5:03:29
I think you would really appreciate this as well because they were spoken by a Lori's side organizer many years ago.
5:03:37
What the woman who labors wants is the right to live, not simply exist.
5:03:42
The right to live as the rich woman has the right to life and the sun, and music, and art.
5:03:50
The worker must have bread, but she must have roses too.
5:03:56
On behalf of the lower east side.
5:03:58
I thank this administration for the bread, and I ask you to send roses.
← Previous Chapter
Nicole Gardner, Director of Advancement for Building for the Arts NY, on supporting NYC's cultural ecosystem through theater renovations and expanding music education
Next Chapter →
Tamia Blackman Santana, Chief Officer of Engagements and Inclusion at Ballet Hispanico, on the Vital Role of Arts and Culture in New York City
