New York City allocates $212 million record arts budget

The New York City Department of Cultural Affairs (DCLA) has allocated $212 million for the fiscal year 2020 arts budget, the highest ever for the cultural sector. This represents a $13 million increase from the previous record and surpasses the National Endowment for the Arts' entire annual U.S. budget by $57 million. Part of the funds will update CreateNYC, the city's first comprehensive cultural plan launched in 2017 by Mayor Bill de Blasio, now renamed CreateNYC Action Plan with five new goals: increasing funding, inclusive practices, government relations, addressing economic crisis, and expanding arts education in public schools. Cultural Affairs Commissioner Tom Finkelpearl stated the action plan provides a tool for citizens to understand progress and future direction. Specific initiatives include CulturePass (free museum entry for library card holders) and the Language Access Fund (cultural programming for non-English speakers). The 33 Cultural Institutions group will receive $10.6 million more than last year, with smaller organizations getting proportionally larger shares. $4 million goes to artists and collectives, while the Cultural Development Fund budget increased by nearly $15 million.