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Image source: Queens Tourism – New York City Councilman announces his support of the One Percent for Culture Campaign

On Tuesday at MOMA PS1, western Queens Councilman Jimmy Van Bramer announced his support for the One Percent For Culture Campaign, a campaign with the mission to demonstrate the value of culture to NYC by aiming to have the city to dedicate 1% of the budget to supporting the nonprofit cultural community. The Campaign spans the five boroughs and recognizes 1,200+ cultural organizations and individual artists throughout NYC who are dedicated to this message. The coalition has 245 members and is non-partisan, too.

Van Bramer’s support, “lends political clout to the rapidly growing coalition of cultural, business, civic leaders and artists throughout all five boroughs who recognize the vital role of the city’s 1,200-plus non-profit cultural organizations.” During the announcement, he said the following :

“Through a coalition of hundreds of non-profit cultural organizations and tens of thousands of New Yorkers we will continue to fight for essential funding we so desperately need for the arts. By increasing funding for culture and the arts in all five boroughs we will sustain our New York City’s dominance as the world’s premiere cultural capital for future years to come.”

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Image source: Queens Tourism  – Pictured from left to right: Klaus Biesenbach, MoMA PS1 Director; Sheila Lewandowski, Executive Director, The Chocolate Factory; Councilman Jimmy Van Bramer; Charles Rice-Gonzalez, Executive Director, BAAD!, Bronx Academy for Arts & Dance; and Eric Pryor, Executive Director, Center for Arts Education

Other leaders in the cultural community also had some things to say about this campaign and the importance of cultural organizations to NYC. First, Sheila Lewandowski of The Chocolate Factory Theater, located in Long Island City, talks about how cultural organizations affect NYC on an economic and jobs level:

“Our cultural organizations have a profound impact on our local business communities. Not only do cultural organizations purchase from and partner with local vendors, they also help attract customers and engage in creative placemaking improving our communities. Non-profit culture impacts New York industries and generates jobs in many fields including employing artists, business support, security services, construction, education, restaurants, finance, and more.”

Close to 24 million tourists come to NYC – including Queens – each year to experience the city’s truly world-class cultural offerings in music, art, theater and more . More than 100,000 jobs and generates $7.6 billion in economic activity as a result of the clamoring for the arts and culture that is based in this great city.

Klaus Biesenbach, Director of LIC’s MoMA PS1 said,  “Nonprofit culture is essential to our city’s economy and the vibrancy of our communities. Increasing the city funding for nonprofit culture will help ensure that cultural organizations thrive in all neighborhoods and all five boroughs.”


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