ASTORIA – New York State Senate Deputy Leader Michael Gianaris announced on December 19 that more than $1.7 million in funding from the New York State Council on the Arts (NYSCA) to benefit artists and arts organizations in western Queens. This funding is part of a record $140 million investment made by the state legislature into arts funding this year.

“The arts are the soul of western Queens and supporting this community is critical to our economic vitality,” said Senate Deputy Leader Michael Gianaris. “I am pleased so many groups are receiving support, and that the New York State Council on the Arts is using the Legislature’s investment thoughtfully in our community and across New York.”

“A giant round of applause to all of our NYSCA grantees,” said Mara Manus, Executive Director of NYSCA. “The incredible breadth of world-class arts organizations in western Queens reflects its position as an international crossroads of language and culture. We are immensely grateful for the work of western Queens’ artists and arts organizations, activating the health, vitality, and economy of this spectacular community.”

The full list of funded projects in western Queens is available online: https://bit.ly/3YADOix.

About the New York State Council on the Arts
NYSCA preserves and advances the arts and culture that make New York State an exceptional place to live, work and visit. The Council upholds the right of all New Yorkers to experience the vital contributions the arts make to our communities, education, economic development, and quality of life. To support the ongoing recovery of the arts across New York State, NYSCA is awarding record funding in Fiscal Year 2023, providing support across the full breadth of the arts.

NYSCA further advances New York’s creative culture by convening leaders in the field and providing organizational and professional development opportunities and informational resources. Created by Governor Nelson Rockefeller in 1960 and continued with the support of Governor Kathy Hochul and the New York State Legislature, the Council is an agency that is part of the Executive Branch. For more information on NYSCA, please visit http://www.arts.ny.gov, and follow NYSCA’s Facebook page, Twitter @NYSCArts and Instagram @NYSCouncilontheArts.