The New York State Council on the Arts (NYSCA) announced this year’s awardees and Suffolk County arts organizations won big!
Over $1.3 million in state funding is headed to forty-two Suffolk County arts and cultural organizations. The funding is focused on support for smaller organizations and to this end, nonprofits with budgets under $1 million received 70% of the grants.
Nomi Dayan, Executive Director of The Whaling Museum Society in Cold Spring Harbor, said “NYSCA has a range of grants that are available to museums. This award is for two years for almost $50,000 a year to help support the museum's activities. We have a new exhibition open now called Monsters and Mermaids that's up for the next two years so we're hoping people will come and see what's new.”
“The museum is 90 years old and we run what I think are outstanding exhibitions and programming and community activities throughout the year. This grant helps support our role as a cultural cornerstone and an anchor in the community. We are a small museum so something like this really does go a long way,” Dayan added.
NYSCA awarded over 2,000 grants totaling $62 million supporting 1,497 nonprofit organizations and 509 individual artists. Arts organizations have a substantial economic and social impact in the state for the local host communities and spur economic benefits from tourism.
“As the unparalleled leader of arts and culture, New York’s creativity and innovation inspires the world,” Governor Hochul said. “Our continued investment in our dynamic creative sector will further boost tourism, strengthen our local economies, and continue New York’s success as a rich and vibrant place to live, work and visit.”
Amanda Race, Development Director of Watermill Center in Watermill, NY said, “This award is above and beyond. It is a humbling and gratifying recognition of the work that we do and of how we serve our community.”
“We take an expansive view of the creative practice. We have a strong network of interdisciplinary and multidisciplinary artists from around the world. The spirit of innovation and experimentation is core to our DNA and we tend to attract artists who like to push the boundaries of their creative practice. The building that we inhabit was 100 years ago opened as a Western Union laboratory and we continue that spirit of experimentation," Race added.
NYSCA is now accepting applications for $80 Million in grants for the Capital Projects Fund until Tuesday, Jan. 14, 2025, at 4 p.m. NYSCA's Capital Projects Fund invests in capital facilities and expansion projects for cultural nonprofit organizations that promote accessibility, diverse programming, environmental sustainability and more. Visit https:arts.ny.gov for more information on how to apply.
Suffolk County organizations receiving NYSCA funding are:
ART & NATURE GROUP $40,000
Art League of Long Island $25,000
Arts Center at Duck Greek $49,500
Arts Project of Cherry Grove $10,000
Babylon Citizens Council on the Arts $40,000
Bay Street Theatre Festival $10,000
Byrd Hoffman Water Mill Center $49,500
Edge and Center, Inc. $25,000
Friends of the Cultural Center, Inc. $49,500
Hamptons Doc Fest $40,000
Hamptons International Film Festival $10,000
Herstory Writers Network $49,500
Hofstra University $25,000
Huntington Arts Council (2 awards) $25K & 15K
Islip Arts Council $40,000
Landcraft Garden Foundation $40,000
Long Island Arts Alliance $10,000
Long Island Baroque Ensemble $15,000
Long Island Museum of American Art, History & Carriages $25,000
Maryhaven Center of Hope $10,000
Ma's House & BIPOC Art Studio $10,000
Montauk Chamber Music Society $15,000
New Community Cinema Club $40,000
Parrish Art Museum $25,000
Patchogue Arts Council, Inc. $49,500
Patchogue Village Center for the Performing Arts $25,000
Performing Arts Center of Suffolk County $40,000
Plaza Mac, Inc. $40,000
Sag Harbor Cinema Arts Center $40,000
Southampton Arts Center $40,000
Society for the Preservation of Long Island Antiquities $25,000
Southold Historical Society $40,000
Suffolk County Historical Society $49,500
Sylvester Manor Educational Farm $25,000
Teatro Experimental Yerbabruja $40,000
The Bridgehampton Historical Society $10,000
The Jazz Loft $40,000
The Whaling Museum Society $49,500
Theater Three Productions $10,000
Three Village Historical Society $10,000
Usdan Center for the Creative & Performing Arts $49,500
Westhampton Beach Performing Arts Center $25,000