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PUBLIC TESTIMONY
Testimony by Lucy Sexton, Executive Director of New Yorkers for Culture and Arts
4:43:27
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139 sec
Lucy Sexton, Executive Director of New Yorkers for Culture and Arts, advocates for a $30 million increase to the baseline budget for cultural funding in NYC. She emphasizes the importance of this increase to fully fund the Cultural Development Fund, address staffing needs at DCLA, and offset federal funding cuts to cultural institutions.
- The requested $30 million would bring cultural funding to 0.25% of the city budget, still far below the 1% goal.
- Sexton highlights the economic impact of arts and culture, generating 13% of the city's economy.
- She stresses the importance of cultural funding for community well-being, education, and health, especially in light of federal budget cuts.
Lucy Sexton
4:43:27
Great, my name is Lucy Sexton.
4:43:28
I'm with New Yorkers for Culture and Arts.
4:43:31
As you have heard, we are asking for $30,000,000 to be added to the baseline.
4:43:35
Why?
4:43:36
Many reasons.
4:43:37
I'll list a few.
4:43:38
But I wanna note first that 30,000,000 will bring us up to point 25% of the city budget for the first time in ten years.
4:43:45
We've been below that and we have long asked for 1% of the city budget.
4:43:50
So reason one, we need the $30,000,000 added to the baseline to fully fund the cultural development fund.
4:43:56
Many organizations that depend on CDF are still getting zero.
4:44:00
Losing funding for the first time or worse like the Chocolate Factory, a beloved staple of Western Queens who had long received support getting zero for the second year in a row.
4:44:10
Those that did have funding restored like the Bronx Arts Ensemble received less than half of what they'd been getting two years ago.
4:44:16
CDF simply does not have enough to fund cultural organizations across the five boroughs.
4:44:21
Two, DCLA needs more staff.
4:44:24
They currently have nine program officers for 1,100 grantees.
4:44:28
It's an equity issue since smaller organizations with less capacity are more dependent on help from program officers.
4:44:36
Three, arts and culture are under attack from the federal government.
4:44:40
The Institute for Museum and Library Services, National Endowment for the Humanities, and the National Endowment for the Arts alone together fund New York City cultural institutions with $32,000,000 in 2024.
4:44:55
That is all going away.
4:44:57
The zoos, gardens, and science museums are losing tens of millions of more dollars in science funding.
4:45:03
We need this 30,000,000 added to the baseline to protect us as we face these devastating headwinds over the next three years.
4:45:10
You know who else needs us the arts and culture protected and stable?
4:45:14
The economy.
4:45:15
It will need all the help it can get in the coming years and we are why people visit, why they live here, why people go out to bars and restaurants.
4:45:23
We generate 13% of the city's economy.
4:45:27
Even more important, our communities will need the connection and well-being culture provides.
4:45:32
So as you work to do all you can for these communities most impacted by cruel federal cuts, remember that this modest investment in culture is essential to keeping those communities whole, connected, educated, and healthy.
4:45:45
Thank you very much.