Supporting New York State Arts and Culture

Governor Kathy Hochul today announced that the FY 2026 opportunity guidelines for $81.5 million in New York State Council on the Arts grants are now available for nonprofit arts and culture organizations and individual artists across New York State. Included in this grant opportunity is critically needed general operating support for organizations, which provides funding for day-to-day activities for over a thousand organizations statewide, as well as support for artists, affordable rehearsal space, folk arts apprenticeships and performing arts residencies. Grant application guidelines are available now at arts.ny.gov.

“Here in New York, we understand the incredible benefits of our creative economy – from attracting an international audience to energizing our local communities,” Governor Hochul said. “By investing in our world-renowned arts and culture sector, we are building a healthier and more prosperous state for our residents and visitors for decades to come.”

Prerecorded opportunity webinars will be available to view on the NYSCA website on Wednesday, May 28. Virtual office hours will be held through mid-June Registration for the webinars as well as an updated schedule will be available here.

Guidelines for the following opportunities are available to download on the NYSCA website:

• Support for Organizations: Provides flexible operating and programmatic funding for qualified arts and culture organizations. Awards range from $10,000 to $49,500.
• Support for Artists: Funds creative commissions to individual artists across the state. The commission areas include Choreography, Composer, Film, Media, and New Technology, Folk and Traditional Arts, Interdisciplinary, Literature, Theater Commissions, and Visual arts. Award amount is $10,000.
• Support for Targeted Opportunities:
  • Rehearsal and Studio Space for the Performing Arts: This funding is intended to support creative rehearsal time and organizations that provide viable and affordable space for non-profit arts groups and artists.  Awards range from $15,000 to $35,000.
    • Folk and Traditional Arts Apprenticeships: This funding provides individuals experienced in folk art with opportunities to study with master folk artists from their own community. Award amount is $10,000.
      • Performing Arts Residencies. This opportunity supports a minimum 3-consecutive-week residency by New York-based performing arts groups in a targeted area in New York State outside of the applicant's home county and outside New York City. Awards range from $15,000 to $35,000.
      • Support for Regrants and Services: Supports funding to State Community Regrant sites — a network of regional arts and culture organizations located across the state — that leverage their local expertise to extend the impact of NYSCA’s grantmaking to artists and nonprofits as well as funding to organizations for services to the field. This opportunity is by invite only.

The application portal will open on Thursday, May 22, 2025. The deadline to apply is Thursday, June 26, 2025, at 5 p.m. All applicants must complete the prequalification process through the Statewide Financial System before applying in the NYSCA application portal for a grant. NYSCA urges applicants to begin the prequalification process in SFS as soon as possible. Opportunities for Capital Project Grants will be announced in the fall.

These opportunities for the arts and culture sector continue New York State’s commitment to arts and culture funding, including ongoing support for capital projects. In FY 2025, NYSCA awarded $82 million in support grants to 509 individual artists and 1,807 nonprofit organizations, as well as to $86 million in capital funding to 134 projects in every region of the state.

New York State Council on the Arts Executive Director Erika Mallin said, “These grant opportunities underscore the Governor and Legislature’s continued dedication to investing in arts and culture. Our creative workers and arts and culture organizations create better communities for us all: bridging cultures, inspiring innovation, driving tourism and creating jobs and industry. I encourage organizations and artists from all over New York State to apply for these opportunities.”

State Senator Jose Serrano said, “New York’s robust arts and culture sector enriches our communities, our economies, and our personal well-being. By supporting our hardworking cultural organizations and artists with this critical funding, New York will remain the epicenter of innovation and creativity worldwide.”

Assemblymember Ron Kim said, “I encourage all of our talented artists and dedicated cultural groups across the state to apply for this critical support so they can continue delivering the measurable benefits of arts and culture to our communities and visitors. New York State looks forward to supporting and celebrating your ideas and artistry.”

About the New York State Council on the Arts
The mission of the New York State Council on the Arts is to foster and advance the full breadth of New York State’s arts, culture, and creativity for all. To support the ongoing recovery of the arts across New York State, the Council on the Arts will award $161 million in FY 2026, serving organizations and artists across all 10 state regions. The Council on the Arts 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 www.arts.ny.gov, and follow NYSCA's Facebook page, on X, formerly known as Twitter, @NYSCArts and Instagram @NYSCouncilontheArts.