The New York State Council of the Arts awarded The Society of Illustrators with a $99,000 grant. The NYSCA grant will support SI’s free year-round arts education programs that serve underserved K-12 youth from economically challenged neighborhoods in New York City.
The funding comes on the heels of Governor Kathy Hochul’s announcement to allocate $46 million in grants for over 1,000 nonprofits and 500 individual artists throughout the state of New York. The NYSCA grants supplement New York’s thriving creative community by boosting tourism, building community and strengthening the health of citizens. The latest award brings the total Fiscal Year 2024 funding for arts and culture to $80 million. NYSCA grants will total $127 million for Fiscal Year 2024 in the organization’s support for the ongoing recovery of the arts in the state.
According to Governor Hochul:
“Research confirms what we’ve always known here in New York: arts and culture are a powerhouse, with a staggering return on investment for our economy and our communities. Nonprofit arts and culture organizations and their audiences generated $151.7 billion in economic activity nationwide in 2022 and New York’s unparalleled arts and culture sector is leading the way to benefit our residents, our students, and our visitors every day. I commend these grantees on their achievements and look forward to their contributions in the coming year.”
Founded in 1901, SI is the oldest nonprofit organization in the nation dedicated to the art of illustration. SI’s free programs include winter, spring and summer drawing academies for students in grades 5-8, fall and spring career exploration and portfolio building workshops for students in grades 9-12, and Saturday Stories monthly workshops for students in grades K-4.
SI’s executive director Arabelle Liepold offered this statement to NYSCA’s announcement:
“The Society of Illustrators is grateful for receiving this prestigious multi-year NYSCA Grant that will enable us to serve 2,100 Grades K-12 students over the next two years with free after school art workshops led by prominent illustrators from various genres. This critical funding underwrites the costs of student art supplies and teaching artists’ fees, among other expenses incurred to conduct our high-quality art programs.”
For information regarding the SI’s art education programs for children and teens ages 4 to 18, visit: https://societyillustrators.org/community/.
