For Immediate Release
August 26, 2015

Office of

New York City Council Member

Laurie A. Cumbo

Contact:
Kristia Beaubrun, ( 718) 260-9191
Council Member Cumbo Announces $17.1M for Arts Education in Brooklyn's Cultural District
Council Member Laurie A. Cumbo (center) joins Aaron Zimmerman, the founder and executive director of  the NY Writers Coalition and Nancy Weber, the program director, for their 11th Annual Fort Greene Summer Literacy Festival on Saturday.
NEW YORK, NY New York City Council Member Laurie A. Cumbo, a Member of the Committees on Youth Services and Cultural Affairs, announced on Wednesday that the 35th Council District will receive a total of $17,115,000 million in funding for after school arts programming and cultural institutions through a collaboration between Council Member Cumbo, the New York City Council, Mayor de Blasio, and Brooklyn Borough President Eric Adams.
 
"In communities across this city, there is no greater way to bring the diverse communities of New York City together than through the arts. I am proud to be able to work with my partners in government to bring resources to so many incredible and deserving organizations that make Brooklyn, New York the greatest place in the world for cultural creation and exchanges," said Council Member Laurie A. Cumbo.  
 
The Brooklyn Music School, Girl Be Heard Institute, Scenarios USA; Irondale Productions, Inc., the Noel Pointer Foundation, NY Writer's Coalition, The Brooklyn Steppers, Inc.; and the University Settlement Society of New York, Inc. were allocated $20,000 under the Cultural After-School Adventures Program initiative . The additional projects are as follows: BRIC - $130,000; Brooklyn Museum - $3 million; Gallim Dance Company, Inc. - $82,000; Museum of Contemporary African Diasporan Arts (MoCADA) - $3,500,000; Prospect Park Alliance - $3,200,000; Brooklyn Academy of Music, Inc. (BAM) - $500,000; Issue Project Room - $250,000; Brooklyn Botanic Garden - $1,000,000; Brooklyn Navy Yard - $2.5 million; Fort Greene Park - $1.5 million; Irondale - $60,000; Dancewave - $320,000; and Theatre for a New Audience - $913,000.

"I am proud to join with Council Member Cumbo to increase funding for Brooklyn's after school arts programs. Furthermore, I commend the many arts institutions and non-profits for their efforts to cultivate a child's mind to think creatively," said Brooklyn Borough President Eric L. Adams. "Brooklyn is the center of the arts universe, and our residents create beauty in art every day from the inspiration of our multi-cultural neighborhoods. Art should be accessible for all, and that is especially true for our children. Considering that art does so much to shape a creative, problem-solving young mind, we should do everything we can to foster children to create art. These after school programs will have a lasting impact on maintaining our status as a world class arts city."

"Due to Council Member Cumbo's extraordinary leadership, the Brooklyn Museum received a $1M capital grant from the City Council to renovate and expand the Museum's Education Division, which is at the heart of what the Museum does - actively educate and engage with our communities. We are grateful to Council Member Cumbo for her commitment to ensuring that her district has access to a wide array of arts and culture organizations. On behalf of the staff and leadership of the Brooklyn Museum we would like to thank Council Member Cumbo for her stalwart support of the Brooklyn Museum and the diverse constituents we serve," said Arnold Lehman, Shelby White and Leon Levy Director, Brooklyn Museum.
 
"Councilmember Laurie Cumbo has again demonstrated that she is a tremendous champion of culture in the New York City Council," said Scot Medbury, President of Brooklyn Botanic Garden. "Newly pledged capital funds from the City Council will enable the Garden to grow to meet the ever-increasing demand for our nationally recognized educational and community gardening programs. The Garden is committed to expanding hands-on, science-based educational programs for youth, adults and community gardeners, and this generous grant will help BBG reach that goal."
 
"Council Member Cumbo understands, perhaps more than any other elected official, that art is essential to the human experience. The Council Member's continued support of our free creative writing programs, including the Fort Greene Literary Festival, will allow us to harness the power of writing to heal, transform, build community, and create audience for New Yorkers from all walks of lives. NY Writers Coalition is proud to work with Ms. Cumbo to honor the lives and stories of our city's most vulnerable residents, especially young people growing up in increasingly challenging times," said Aaron Zimmerman, Founder and Executive Director, NY Writers Coalition, Inc.

"Council Member Cumbo really gets it.  She understands the needs of arts and cultural groups at such a high level that you feel like you're working with a partner not a politician.  She shares Irondale's belief that the arts educate, enable social change and make a quality of life difference in our community.  The funds she has provided for capital expenses and after school programs help us reach so many people of all ages.  She is a game-changer for artists, for kids, for audiences of all ages," said Terry Greiss, Co-Founder and Executive Director, Irondale Productions, Inc.

"It is obvious that the Councilwoman Cumbo sees the big picture in that arts empowers our youth to find who they are through self-expression; deterring them from engaging in gang and gun violence. By funding an institute, such as BMS, that has made performing arts accessible to the community for over a hundred years shows a value in honoring Brooklyn's history of quality cultural programming, while also at the same time investing in tomorrow's youth by giving our current children an even heightened artistic experience than their parents. Many of BMS' renowned teaching artists and staff reside in the borough and district keeping artists living and working (and spending money) in the district that is undergoing so much change," said Piruz Partow, Artistic-Executive Director, Brooklyn Music School.
 
"Girl Be Heard is deeply grateful to have the support of Laurie Cumbo, whom we consider one of the most inspiring women in politics when it comes to civil and human rights impacting the girls and communities we serve.   Council Member Cumbo has a long history of supporting the arts.  She understands how powerful a medium theatre is in paving the way for social change.  Girl Be Heard is honored to have received a CASA grant to continue our after school program at Susan McKinney and deepen our work with young women in the community who are rising above adversity -- from bullying to systemic racism -- each and every day by sharing their stories of courage and resilience," said Jessica Greer Morris, Executive Director, Girl Be Heard.

"We are so excited to receive funding from Councilmember Laurie Cumbo, which allows us to provide string music instruction to underserved children in our New York City public schools," said Chinita J. Pointer, Executive Director, Noel Pointer Foundation. "This instruction makes it possible for students to audition into specialized Middle and High schools and fosters discipline, develops character, builds self-esteem and the opportunity to perform and share the Love of Music!"
 
"Supporting the arts is important for the continued success of New York City youth.  The arts can positively affect the entire school culture in New York City by helping with student motivation, attitudes, and attendance," said Antonio Thompson, Executive Director, The Brooklyn Steppers, Inc. We are ecstatic to hear about the increased support for the arts and thank the Mayor DeBlasio and the City Council, especially Council Member Cumbo for their steadfast support of The Brooklyn Steppers and the New York City arts community."
 
"Council Member Cumbo's dedication to providing access to arts for everyone in her district is impressive and inspiring. Through her support, University Settlement has been able to bring the highest quality dance and media arts to the children and families living in and around the NYCHA residences that we serve. We have seen some of our community's youngest members learn their first pirouette, hold their first video camera, edit their first film, and, in doing so, we see them learn confidence and empowerment - we see them learn that they matter. Together with Council Member Cumbo, we are undoubtedly shaping our community's future leaders and we are so incredibly thankful for her partnership," said Melissa Aase, Executive Director, University Settlement.
 
"Scenarios USA uses writing and filmmaking to engage students in identifying and leading on issues that matter most to them. We have been witness to the transformation making and using film has on students' lives, especially young people who are not often accurately represented in the media. The support from Council Member Cumbo was crucial for Scenarios to provide artist residencies to 12 - 18 year olds in the 35th District whose in-school and out-of-school time had lacked art and the skill-building necessary to use art to create meaningful change. This investment in the arts will pay dividends in students' lives forever," said Maura Minsky, Executive Director and Co-Founder of Scenarios USA.
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New York City Council Member Laurie A. Cumbo represents the 35th District, which covers Bedford-Stuyvesant, Clinton Hill, Crown Heights, Fort Greene and Prospect Heights. She serves as Chair of the Committee on Women's Issues and a member of several committees: Cultural Affairs, Libraries, and International Intergroup Relations; Finance; Higher Education; Public Housing; and Youth Services. Council Member Cumbo is also a member of the Women's Caucus; the Black, Latino, and Asian Caucus; and the Jewish Caucus.