Your guide to NYC's public proceedings.
PUBLIC TESTIMONY
Testimony by Lucy Sexton, Executive Director of New Yorkers for Culture and Arts
4:28:12
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123 sec
Lucy Sexton, Executive Director of New Yorkers for Culture and Arts, testifies about the current challenges facing the cultural sector in NYC and calls for increased funding. She emphasizes the need for a $75 million addition to the baseline budget to stabilize the sector and highlights the positive impact of cultural assets on communities.
- Sexton reports layoffs and deficits across cultural organizations despite the restoration of previous budget cuts.
- She points out that culture currently receives only 0.21% of the city budget and argues for an increase to 1% given the sector's 13% contribution to the city's economy.
- The testimony highlights the social impact of arts, particularly in low-wealth communities, where cultural assets correlate with improved outcomes in education, mental health, and public safety.
Lucy Sexton
4:28:12
My name is Lucy Sexton, New Yorkers for Culture and Arts.
4:28:15
We are so grateful to the council and the administration for reversing last year's cuts to culture.
4:28:20
I wanna add that while the cuts were restored, our sector is not repaired.
4:28:25
We are seeing layoffs at large organizations and small and groups facing deficits across the board.
4:28:31
Now the federal administration is launching daily attacks on arts, culture and on the science and education spaces in which we work.
4:28:38
It is dangerous and damaging.
4:28:40
In addition to the incredible harm done by the current delays in funding that you spoke about earlier with the commissioner, I want to say that the number of staff at DCLA must be increased.
4:28:49
I believe they now have like nine program officers covering nearly 1,200 grantees.
4:28:55
It's not working.
4:28:56
We're asking for a $75,000,000 addition to the baseline in order to stabilize the sector and the agency.
4:29:04
FYI for the last ten years, Culture has received just 0.21% of the city budget.
4:29:10
The 75,000,000 will get us back to 0.25%, a down payment on the full 1% of the budget needed by the creative sector which generates 13% of the city's economy.
4:29:23
We know the city is dealing with so many urgent needs due to the chaos in federal funding.
4:29:28
The social impact of the arts projects updated data shows that neighborhoods with robust cultural assets have improved outcomes in education, mental health, public safety, longevity and more.
4:29:41
In low wealth communities in particular, those communities, low wealth communities with strong strongly supported culture and arts, their students test scores are 91% better than in low wealth areas lacking in cultural assets.
4:29:58
We know those communities will be hit hardest by the federal cuts.
4:30:02
While you struggle to provide jobs, health care, and so much more, please invest in culture to keep our communities whole, connected, educated, and economically and emotionally healthy during this time.
4:30:15
Thank you for your.