AGENCY TESTIMONY
Introduction and Commissioner Cumbo's personal experience in arts careers
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Commissioner Laurie Cumbo introduces herself and provides context for her testimony on pathways into arts and cultural workforce for New Yorkers. She shares her personal experience starting with an internship at the Metropolitan Museum of Art at age 15, which led to her current role as Commissioner of the NYC Department of Cultural Affairs.
- Emphasizes the viability of arts careers and the need to change perceptions about job opportunities in the sector
- Highlights the importance of creating programs that connect residents to career paths in the arts
- Stresses the potential for good-paying jobs that also give back to the community
Laurie Cumbo
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Good morning, chair Rivera and members of the committee.
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I am Laurie Kumbo, commissioner of the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs, here to testify in regard to the to today's topic, pathways into the arts and cultural workforce for New Yorkers.
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I just wanna preface my testimony by saying we are extremely excited about this topic, and we have, as you could say, over performed in providing as much information as we can about all of the pathways to careers in the arts in New York City.
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And this particular hearing has gotten us so excited that we wanna figure out a way to consolidate this information so that it can be more readily available, particularly to young people who are looking for careers in the arts.
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So we thank you for that, but I just want to give you, a preface by saying this will be a longer testimony than usual, but that's because there are so many incredible programs all throughout New York City.
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This is a topic that is near and dear to my heart.
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I had an internship at the Metropolitan Museum of Art when I was 15 years old and early work experiences at the Brooklyn Museum and Brooklyn Children's Museum shortly after that.
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These were formative years for me, which helped me to understand the power of the arts as a career path that offers good jobs that were also deeply rooted in our city's commit community.
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So I just wanna say to all of the young people that are here that these pathways are real.
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I started at the MET, and I am commissioner of the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs.
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So these are real viable opportunities for young people.
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They were fun.
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They were exciting.
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And at many organizations, they led to good union jobs.
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We've been inspired by the work happening across the cultural sector to cultivate the next generation of arts workers.
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But I know that there is still a stigma out there, especially throughout lower income and working class communities, that the arts don't offer a viable career path.
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We need to change this from both ends, make sure that our art sector has the support it needs to offer good paying jobs, while also creating programs that connect residents to career paths in the art, and show them that this is an extraordinary way to have a great job while giving back to your city and your community.