0:00:03 33 sec
Procedure
Staff opens hearing and gives procedural instructions
Council staff calls the meeting to order, asks attendees to silence devices, explains sign-up for testimony, and tells the Chair they are ready to begin.
New York City Council
Committee on Cultural Affairs, Libraries and International Relations
Oversight – What’s Next for CreateNYC?
Oct 19, 2026 · 1:00 PM ET · 3 hr 31 min
Hearing
Meeting chapters
Read summaries and jump into the video at the segment start.
0:00:36 12 sec
Remarks
Chair Williams opens oversight hearing on CreateNYC
Deputy Speaker Nantasha Williams introduces herself as Chair, welcomes attendees to the oversight hearing on 'What's Next for CreateNYC,' and notes legislation will also be heard.
0:00:48 1 min 17 sec
Remarks
Chair Williams outlines resolutions on Shangri-Las, Kwanzaa, Reggaeton, and Albanian Independence Day
Chair lists proposed resolutions: Res. 163-A for Shangri-Las Week, Res. 164 for Kwanzaa as a state holiday, Res. 625-A for Reggaeton Heritage Month, and Res. 186 for Albanian Independence Day.
0:02:05 2 min 26 sec
Remarks
Chair Williams highlights Brooklyn Public Library Banned Books Week event
Chair describes Brooklyn Public Library's October 6 event on artistic freedom, praises artist Christopher Mays and his stained-glass works and tapestries featuring banned book characters, and notes his father Walter Dean Myers.
0:04:31 3 min 8 sec
Remarks
Council Member Louis presents Resolution 625 on Reggaeton Heritage Month
Farah Louis explains her personal connection to reggaeton as a dancer, traces its Afro-Caribbean and Panamanian roots, and urges support for designating October as Reggaeton Heritage Month in NYC.
0:07:39 2 min 37 sec
Remarks
Chair Williams speaks on Shangri-Las and Kwanzaa resolutions
Chair Williams celebrates the Shangri-Las as a Queens girl group with six top 40 hits, then explains Kwanzaa's origins, seven principles, and her resolution to make it a public holiday in New York.
0:10:16 2 min
Remarks
Chair Williams frames CreateNYC oversight questions
Chair asks whether CreateNYC lived up to its promise of cultural equity, noting artists struggle with affordability, small organizations fight to stay open, and communities face barriers to funding and resources.
0:12:16 49 sec
Procedure
Chair Williams acknowledges members and gives public testimony instructions
Chair acknowledges committee members and staff, reminds public to fill out appearance cards, limits testimony to two minutes and questions to five minutes, and asks witnesses to state their names.
0:13:05 29 sec
Procedure
Chair Williams introduces expert panel from Penn's Social Impact of the Arts Project
Chair introduces Mark Stern and Susan Seifert from the University of Pennsylvania's Social Impact of the Arts Project, waives time limits due to special testimony, and asks them to begin.
0:13:34 2 min 29 sec
Public Testimony
Mark Stern introduces SIAP and its community well-being framework
Mark Stern introduces himself and Susan Seifert, explains SIAP's founding in 1994, and argues cultural opportunities are part of community well-being, especially in lower-income neighborhoods.
0:16:03 3 min 3 sec
Public Testimony
Mark Stern presents findings on cultural inequality and civic clusters
Stern describes a 'new geography of exclusion,' shows a steep relationship between economic well-being and cultural assets, and defines market, market-adjacent, and civic clusters like Brownsville and Flushing.
0:19:06 3 min 4 sec
Public Testimony
Mark Stern links cultural assets to health and education outcomes
Stern says DCLA funding shifts were swamped by inequality, describes four community well-being clusters, and finds cultural assets in lower-income neighborhoods correlate with fewer strokes, fewer low-weight births, and higher test scores.
0:22:10 3 min 25 sec
Public Testimony
Mark Stern urges DCLA to adopt a neighborhood-focused approach
Stern reviews DCLA's CIG and CDF changes, recommends building from strength in civic clusters, and cites Bronx Council on the Arts, Queens Museum, and Kensington Cultural Council as examples of community capacity building.
0:25:35 4 min 30 sec
Q&A
Chair Williams asks SIAP about lessons from Philadelphia and other cities
Chair Williams asks what New York can learn from other cities, noting New York's size; Mark Stern contrasts vertical networks in New York with horizontal neighborhood networks in Philadelphia.
0:30:05 1 min 38 sec
Q&A
Chair Williams asks SIAP to explain civic clusters and why Council should care
Chair asks for more detail on civic clusters; Stern says they are lower-income neighborhoods with more cultural assets than expected, and Seifert explains the 'build from strength' model to support nearby vulnerable neighborhoods.
0:31:43 3 min 58 sec
Q&A
Chair Williams and SIAP discuss applying civic cluster model in Southeast Queens
Chair asks how the model would work in her district; Stern suggests funding points of strength to partner with more vulnerable areas, and Seifert urges a broad definition of nonprofit cultural providers and starting with a few places.
0:35:41 22 sec
Q&A
Chair Williams thanks SIAP and closes expert panel
Chair Williams thanks Stern and Seifert, says she loves Philadelphia, and transitions to calling the administration to the witness table.
0:36:03 1 min 4 sec
Procedure
Chair Williams calls DCLA and administers affirmation
Chair calls DCLA to the witness table, and committee counsel administers the affirmation to Commissioner Diya Vij and Derek Wang.
0:37:07 1 min 7 sec
Agency Testimony
Commissioner Vij introduces DCLA testimony on CreateNYC's 10-year review
Commissioner Diya Vij thanks SIAP, introduces herself, and says she will reflect on what worked, what didn't, and what DCLA is doing now to address CreateNYC's bolder ideas.
0:38:14 1 min 51 sec
Agency Testimony
Commissioner Vij describes changed context and five action plan objectives
Vij notes COVID-19 and federal attacks on DEI changed the landscape, explains the 2019 Action Plan condensed 180 pages into five objectives, and begins with objective one on equitable funding.
0:40:05 2 min 23 sec
Agency Testimony
Commissioner Vij details CDF and CIG funding increases and access programs
Vij reports FY26 CDF distributed $74.3 million to 1,171 groups, up from $40 million to 950 groups in 2017, and describes multi-year support, Disability Forward Fund, Language Access Fund, Culture Pass, and IDNYC.
0:42:28 1 min 23 sec
Agency Testimony
Commissioner Vij discusses DEI plans and CUNY Cultural Corps
Vij credits former Commissioner Tom Finkelpearl, says CIG members adopted DEI plans, describes audits and pipeline programs, and notes CUNY Cultural Corps has placed over 1,100 students in paid internships.
0:43:51 2 min 35 sec
Agency Testimony
Commissioner Vij reviews government connections and Create in Place
Vij describes immigration summit, commissioner office hours, Office of Nightlife, and Create in Place, which has supported over 100 creative businesses and helped Red Hook fire recovery and South of Prospect rezoning.
0:46:26 1 min 10 sec
Agency Testimony
Commissioner Vij addresses affordability crisis and affordable workspace
Vij discusses AREA program's 165 units, 50,000 square feet at Brooklyn Army Terminal, and cultural space in developments like Brownsville Arts Center and People's Theater Project, but says affordability remains the most pressing challenge.
0:47:36 1 min 42 sec
Agency Testimony
Commissioner Vij outlines arts education progress and DOE partnership
Vij says the Arts Office is developing pre-K to 12 arts pathways, increased funding from $516 million in FY24 to $563 million in FY25, and DCLA supports arts education through CDF grantees, CASA, and Materials for the Arts.
0:49:18 1 min 39 sec
Agency Testimony
Commissioner Vij announces artist grant increase and new access programs
Vij says Mayor Mamdani and she doubled artist grants from $5,000 to up to $10,000, launched TDF Ticket for Teens, free Met membership for SNAP recipients, and Met Opera for All, and highlights FY27 budget of $323 million.
0:50:57 1 min 3 sec
Agency Testimony
Commissioner Vij commits to listening sessions and shared priorities
Vij says the plan was a valiant attempt at public engagement, DCLA has engaged over 1,000 artists and cultural workers, and will synthesize listening session findings and work with Council on district sessions.
0:52:00 6 sec
Q&A
Chair Williams turns questioning over to Council Member Stevens
Chair Williams thanks Commissioner Vij and gives the floor to Council Member Althea Stevens.
0:52:06 1 min 29 sec
Q&A
Council Member Stevens raises CASA shortage and arts education concerns
Stevens says she has 55 schools but only 15 CASA slots, argues arts is not a priority in many schools, and questions the pre-K to 12 arts pathway before turning to workforce diversity.
0:53:35 2 min
Q&A
Commissioner Vij explains delayed workforce survey and racial equity plan goals
Vij says the 2022 workforce survey was not completed due to COVID and federal climate concerns, but the racial equity plan commits to addressing the mid-career to leadership pipeline and board governance.
0:55:35 2 min 19 sec
Q&A
Council Member Stevens presses DCLA on tracking CUNY Cultural Corps outcomes
Stevens asks how many of the 1,100 CUNY Cultural Corps participants reached leadership; Vij says DCLA does not have that data, and Stevens insists the program should be tracked beyond anecdotes.
0:57:54 4 min 6 sec
Q&A
Council Member Stevens questions DEI accountability and CIG equity plans
Stevens asks what evidence shows diversity initiatives change hiring and retention; Vij says all 34 CIGs submitted equity plans and final reports, but organizations set their own goals, and board governance remains a struggle.
1:02:00 2 min 50 sec
Q&A
Council Member Stevens questions living wage strategy and cultural worker wages
Stevens asks about the action plan's living wage strategy; Vij admits it had no strategies and little impact, says wages have not improved, and Stevens urges the city to move from diagnosing problems to creating policy.
1:04:50 1 min 45 sec
Q&A
Council Member Louis asks about affordable cultural space created and lost
Louis asks how many affordable cultural spaces CreateNYC helped create or preserve since 2017; Vij cites 165 artist workspace units but says she does not know how many were lost, and says an all-of-government plan is coming soon.
1:06:35 2 min 7 sec
Q&A
Chair Williams asks Commissioner Vij for CreateNYC's top achievements
Chair asks for the three most consequential achievements since 2017; Vij cites deep public engagement, funding reforms targeting under-resourced neighborhoods, and DEI work becoming core to DCLA.
1:08:42 1 min 23 sec
Q&A
Chair Williams asks which CreateNYC commitments remain unfulfilled
Vij says living wages for cultural workers and artists remain unfulfilled, arts education needs more work with DOE, and DCLA alone cannot change conditions without an all-of-government approach.
1:10:05 1 min 28 sec
Q&A
Chair Williams asks about listening tour findings and written accounting
Vij says the listening tour has reached all five boroughs and 15 sessions, with affordable space as the biggest issue, and says DCLA is synthesizing findings but has not determined the reporting format.
1:11:33 2 min
Q&A
Chair Williams questions who tracks CreateNYC implementation and staffing
Chair asks who tracks implementation; Derek Wang says the plan is updated biannually and a team effort, but Chair notes CreateNYC is not his only responsibility and asks if staff are assigned specifically.
1:13:33 1 min 34 sec
Q&A
Chair Williams presses DCLA on missing biennial reports and key indicator data
Chair says reports were hard to find online and asks if 2023 and 2025 reports were submitted to mayor and speaker; Vij promises to send them, and Wang says FY23-FY26 data was uploaded over the weekend.
1:15:07 1 min 55 sec
Q&A
Chair Williams questions Cultural Affairs Advisory Commission roster and meetings
Chair asks who serves on the commission and when it last met; Vij says DCLA is appointing new members and current members are still in their seats, but no new appointments since administration change.
1:17:02 3 min 34 sec
Q&A
Chair Williams asks which communities remain least served by cultural funding
Chair asks how DCLA identifies underserved communities; Vij says the racial equity plan will establish baseline metrics, disability community needs more attention, and disparities have widened even as some neighborhoods became civic clusters.
1:20:36 1 min 18 sec
Q&A
Chair Williams asks if racial equity plan changes funding allocations
Chair asks if the plan changes who receives funding; Vij says it makes process commitments, including general operating support, multi-year support, streamlined applications, multilingual outreach, and deeper relationships with borough arts councils.
1:21:54 1 min 38 sec
Q&A
Chair Williams asks about cultural participation and disability gains
Vij cites IDNYC's 805,000 memberships and Culture Pass's 560,000 reservations as access gains, and says the Disability Forward Fund has provided about 600 grants totaling over $6 million.
1:23:32 1 min 11 sec
Q&A
Chair Williams asks about interagency coordination plan and cultural infrastructure
Chair asks if the charter-mandated interagency coordination plan exists; Vij points to Create in Place and a monthly interagency task force, but Chair says the plan sounds more comprehensive and Vij concedes it is fair to say DCLA does not have it.
1:24:43 2 min 38 sec
Q&A
Chair Williams and Commissioner Vij discuss embedding culture in neighborhood planning
Chair says she had to force arts into her neighborhood plan; Vij agrees and cites Gowanus affordable artist studios and South of Prospect rezoning as models for early cultural inclusion.
1:27:21 4 min 23 sec
Q&A
Chair Williams questions DCLA on arts education standards and DOE relationship
Chair asks what standard measures high-quality arts education; Vij says that is a DOE question but DCLA meets with the chancellor and DOE Arts frequently, and Chair notes the chancellor did not answer a reporter's question on arts commitments.
1:31:44 1 min 32 sec
Q&A
Chair Williams asks what DCLA will propose for CreateNYC's original vision
Chair asks what funding, institutional, or priority changes DCLA will propose; Vij says DCLA is gathering feedback and will share measurable priorities, but is not sure it will be a full-blown plan.
1:33:16 1 min 38 sec
Q&A
Chair Williams asks about She Built NYC and Elizabeth Jennings Graham monument location
Chair relays Council Member Marte's question about why the Elizabeth Jennings Graham monument is planned for Grand Central rather than Lower Manhattan; Vij says the public art team is looking into new Lower Manhattan locations.
1:34:54 42 sec
Procedure
Chair Williams thanks Commissioner Vij and calls IBO witness
Chair thanks Commissioner Vij, notes Council Member Maloney has no questions, and calls Arden Armbruster from the Independent Budget Office as an expert witness.
1:35:36 1 min 27 sec
Agency Testimony
Arden Armbruster introduces IBO's CDF report series
Arden Armbruster introduces herself as IBO lead budget and policy analyst, explains IBO's mission, and says the report series examines CDF grantees to inform CreateNYC's future.
1:37:03 1 min 50 sec
Agency Testimony
IBO finds CDF grantees are small, underserved-focused, and government-reliant
Armbruster says half of CDF grantees have budgets under $500,000 and two or fewer full-time employees, two-thirds serve historically underserved communities, and the smallest grantees receive half their revenue from government.
1:38:53 1 min 11 sec
Agency Testimony
IBO reports geographic inequities in CDF grantee locations and programs
Armbruster says 60% of grantees are based in Manhattan and 63% of funding goes to them, 74% of grantees planned programs in Manhattan, and planned CDF programs are not equitably distributed across boroughs.
1:40:04 1 min 6 sec
Agency Testimony
IBO summarizes implications and announces upcoming reports and webinar
Armbruster says CDF grantees are responsive to underserved communities but small and government-reliant, so city policies have outsized impact; IBO will publish more reports and host a webinar on Thursday.
1:41:10 1 min 53 sec
Q&A
Chair Williams asks how IBO's report differs from Local Law 15 reporting
Chair asks how IBO's analysis differs from Local Law 15; Armbruster says Local Law 15 covers CDF, CIG, and other DCLA funding, while IBO's report is a statistical analysis of CDF grantees and trends.
1:43:03 2 min 55 sec
Q&A
Chair Williams asks IBO what Council should keep in mind for future cultural policy
Armbruster emphasizes EINs in open data for targeted planning, geographic distribution of grantees and programs, and the limited capacity of small organizations that serve underserved communities.
1:45:58 1 min 21 sec
Procedure
Chair Williams thanks IBO and opens public testimony
Chair thanks Armbruster, calls the next panel, reminds the public of decorum and two-minute testimony limit, and says written testimony can be submitted to the Sergeant at Arms.
1:47:19 5 min 40 sec
Public Testimony
Gregorio Mayers testifies for Resolution 625 on Reggaeton Heritage Month
Gregorio Mayers, founder of Panama 507 Roundtable, shares his personal story of Panamanian music, traces reggaeton's Afro-Caribbean roots, and urges passage of Resolution 625 while recommending inclusion of Reggae Sam.
1:52:59 2 min 22 sec
Public Testimony
Mauricio Delfin proposes separating DCLA capacity plan from shared cultural agenda
Mauricio Delfin of the Culture and Arts Policy Institute argues CreateNYC conflated an agency plan with a sector-wide agenda, and proposes a DCLA capacity-building plan plus a shared cultural policy agenda with shared indicators and reporting.
1:55:21 3 min 13 sec
Public Testimony
Gonzalo Casals argues for culture as public infrastructure across city government
Gonzalo Casals says CreateNYC rested on an agency with 0.25% of the city budget, and proposes embedding culture in health, education, and social services, citing Massachusetts cultural prescriptions and the public artists in residence program.
1:58:34 1 min 50 sec
Q&A
Chair Williams asks Delfin to explain capacity plan versus shared agenda
Chair asks about the difference; Delfin says the capacity plan addresses DCLA's ability to assess and report, while the shared agenda coordinates many actors and requires standing spaces for collaboration and accountability.
2:00:24 1 min 45 sec
Q&A
Chair Williams asks how Council and DCLA would share a cultural agenda
Delfin says Council's neighborhood-level mandates allow more nuanced resourcing of communities, and a shared agenda would break silos by coordinating executive and legislative roles; Casals adds that oversight can be built into the plan.
2:02:09 1 min 58 sec
Q&A
Chair Williams asks Casals how artist residencies could become citywide policy
Casals says the public artist in residence program is a good first step but remains discrete projects; as policy it would embed artists across agencies, bring new funding, and treat culture as cross-sector infrastructure.
2:04:07 4 min 10 sec
Q&A
Chair Williams asks how Council should use CreateNYC's 10-year mark
Casals says government's convening power carries leadership responsibility, and the sector needs a clear agenda; Delfin adds that any next step must rest on institutional capacity to assess and deliver.
2:08:17 5 min 19 sec
Public Testimony
Lucy Sexton testifies remotely on disability access, arts education, and affordability
Lucy Sexton of New Yorkers for Culture and Arts calls for revisiting the Disability Forward Fund, creating a permanent cultural advisory group, funding arts education, supporting immigrant and queer artists, and addressing healthcare and affordable workspace.
2:13:36 1 min 12 sec
Procedure
Chair Williams calls next in-person panel
Chair Williams calls Lisa Gold, DJ McDonald, Judith Ensel, Kimberly Olson, and Cindy Vanden Bosch to testify.
2:14:48 2 min 10 sec
Public Testimony
Judith Ensel calls for a three-to-five-year strategic plan and 1% arts funding
Judith Ensel, executive director of Bronx Arts Ensemble, urges the next CreateNYC to be a true three-to-five-year strategic plan with budget information and for arts and culture funding to reach 1% of the NYC budget.
2:16:58 2 min 41 sec
Public Testimony
Lisa Gold testifies on AAPI underfunding and lack of cultural space
Lisa Gold of Asian American Arts Alliance says there are no AAPI-led CIGs, only 5% of CDF grantees are AAPI-led despite 18% of the population, and Manhattan's Chinatown lacks a black box theater or public performance space.
2:19:39 3 min 17 sec
Public Testimony
Kimberly Olsen calls for arts education baseline, teacher pipeline, and data transparency
Kimberly Olsen of NYC Arts and Education Roundtable says Strategy 5 lacks a shared definition of high-quality arts education, 69% of eighth graders fail state arts requirements, and urges closing the certified arts teacher gap and modernizing CASA funding.
2:22:56 3 min 25 sec
Public Testimony
DJ McDonald testifies on Cultural Accessibility NYC and disability justice
DJ McDonald describes the Dance Parade and the Cultural Accessibility NYC project, which is researching disability justice and cultural access, and calls for disability equity to be a first consideration in cultural planning.
2:26:21 4 min 5 sec
Public Testimony
Cindy VandenBosch testifies on cultural accessibility research and Disability Forward Fund
Cindy VandenBosch, lead consultant for Cultural Accessibility NYC, describes surveys and focus groups on accessibility infrastructure, asks for DCLA data, and questions how Disability Forward Fund money was distributed.
2:30:26 2 min 36 sec
Remarks
Chair Williams offers to convene disability access roundtable and follow up with DCLA
Chair Williams says she is learning about the accessibility project, offers to help convene agencies and a roundtable, suggests reaching out to Disability Committee Chair Shahana Hanif, and promises follow-up questions to DCLA on the Disability Forward Fund.
2:33:02 1 min 18 sec
Procedure
Chair Williams calls next panel and helps find lost jacket
Chair calls Malik Jones, Rosalyn Barber, Christopher, and Martha Nabors, gives a shout-out to Staten Island and Snug Harbor, and briefly helps locate a lost raincoat before the panel begins.
2:34:20 3 min 33 sec
Public Testimony
Chris Gorman testifies for Cultural Institutions Group on CreateNYC partnership
Chris Gorman of the Museum of the City of New York, speaking for CIG chair Stephanie Hill Wilchfort, describes CIG's 39 institutions, 4 million free visits, 15,700 employees, and educational partnerships, and offers CIG as a partner for future plans.
2:37:53 3 min 16 sec
Public Testimony
Martha Nabors testifies on Snug Harbor and cultural workforce challenges
Martha Nabors of Snug Harbor Cultural Center says CreateNYC inspired diversity and accessibility changes, but cultural workers earn 23% less than national average, artists are leaving NYC, and the city must act to stem the creative brain drain.
2:41:09 2 min 32 sec
Public Testimony
Malik Jones testifies on Lincoln Center access and culture as essential infrastructure
Malik Jones, chief people officer at Lincoln Center, describes free and choose-what-you-pay performances reaching nearly 3 million people, a new performance park opening in 2028, and calls for the next plan to operationalize culture as essential infrastructure.
2:43:41 2 min 30 sec
Public Testimony
Rosalind Barbour testifies on Public Theater's use of CreateNYC research
Rosalind Barbour of the Public Theater says CreateNYC helped focus free mobile unit performances in low-income communities like Brownsville and St. Mary's Park, and that the required DEI plan helped the theater center anti-racism.
2:46:11 39 sec
Remarks
Chair Williams thanks CIG panel and notes institutional adaptation
Chair Williams thanks the panel, says it is nice to hear CIG institutions embraced the plan, and recalls that some cultural institutions were initially anxious when CreateNYC came out.
2:46:50 34 sec
Procedure
Chair Williams calls next panel on affordable space
Chair calls Randy Berry, Esther Robinson, and Daniel Arnow to testify.
2:47:24 2 min 15 sec
Public Testimony
Daniel Arnow testifies on artist housing and affordable workspace
Daniel Arnow of the Entertainment Community Fund and Housing Development Corporation says the resident artist population is declining, and calls for city-led developments to include cultural facilities, affordable artist housing, and an artist preference in affordable housing.
2:49:39 2 min 28 sec
Public Testimony
Randi Berry testifies on permanent affordable cultural space and land trusts
Randi Berry of Indie Space urges the city to integrate cultural assets into planning, create pathways to permanent affordable cultural space through land trusts and acquisition funds, incentivize cultural space in new development, and streamline capital processes.
2:52:07 2 min 36 sec
Public Testimony
Esther Robinson testifies on cultural production space and long-term leases
Esther Robinson of ArtBuilt describes 50,000 square feet of affordable workspace at Brooklyn Army Terminal, calls for cultural production to be an economic priority, and urges 20-year leases for publicly owned cultural production space.
2:54:43 2 min 32 sec
Q&A
Chair Williams discusses artist housing preference and portable insurance with panel
Chair Williams says she has faced pushback on artist preference housing due to human rights law and demographic concerns, asks for legal workarounds, and notes she also tried to prioritize portable insurance for artists.
2:57:15 1 min 32 sec
Q&A
Chair Williams and Randi Berry discuss cultural land trusts and international models
Chair mentions reading about cultural land trusts in Canada; Berry says she just returned from a Helsinki conference on creative land trusts with 11 countries and 26 cities, and notes successful models often start with city-donated adaptive reuse and long leases.
2:58:47 1 min 8 sec
Procedure
Chair Williams calls next panel from National Queer Theater and TDF
Chair calls Deeksha Gaur, Adam Odsess-Rubin, Kaneza Schaal, and Lindsey Buller Maliekel, and works through pronunciation of their names.
2:59:55 2 min 27 sec
Public Testimony
Deeksha Gaur testifies on TDF's Tickets for Teens and arts access
Deeksha Gaur, executive director of TDF, says TDF served 1.3 million audience members, partnered on Tickets for Teens giving 2,000 free tickets, and urges the next plan to prioritize affordability and access for audiences.
3:02:22 2 min 18 sec
Public Testimony
Adam Odsess-Rubin testifies on queer arts funding and anti-DEI attacks
Adam Odsess-Rubin of National Queer Theater says CDF support helps them survive federal anti-trans and anti-DEI attacks, and recommends $5 million baseline for queer arts, after-school LGBTQ programming, trans artist microgrants, and continued small-organization funding.
3:04:40 2 min 32 sec
Public Testimony
Kaneza Schaal testifies on immigrant queer artists and smallest organizations
Kaneza Schaal, a Thai queer immigrant theater artist, describes how National Queer Theater gave her artistic freedom and community, and urges city arts funding to reach the smallest organizations and most vulnerable artists.
3:07:12 2 min 28 sec
Public Testimony
Lindsey Buller Maliekel testifies on NYCHA arts access and portable benefits
Lindsey Buller Maliekel of New 42 describes a NYCHA partnership giving 2,000 free tickets that sell out quickly, says loss of health insurance drives teaching artists out, and urges continued support for arts education and portable benefits.
3:09:40 19 sec
Remarks
Chair Williams thanks spirited panel of cultural organizations
Chair Williams thanks the panel for their testimony and says she appreciates the spirited group compared to drier hearings.
3:09:59 1 min 37 sec
Procedure
Chair Williams calls next panel and mentions Scope of Work
Chair calls Eva Davis and Sherelle Dixon, mentions Scope of Work as a young artists and gig workers group, and notes she missed their representative.
3:11:36 4 min 7 sec
Public Testimony
Sherelle Dixon testifies on MWBE engagement and cultural preservation gaps
Sherelle Dixon of Pan African Solutions Consulting describes nonprofit capacity constraints, local and global cultural disconnect, and cultural preservation gaps, and asks for a dedicated funding stream for for-profit MWBE firms to partner with CBOs.
3:15:43 4 min 26 sec
Public Testimony
Eva Mayhabal Davis testifies on language access, affordable space, and portable benefits
Eva Mayhabal Davis of Latinx Arts Consortium says language access funding is unclear, displacement threatens Latinx cultural practices, and urges community ownership of cultural spaces and co-designed portable health benefits for artists.
3:20:09 57 sec
Public Testimony
Jerry Mikorenda testifies on stalled She Built NYC statues
Jerry Mikorenda, author of a book on Elizabeth Jennings Graham, says She Built NYC selected women for statues in 2018 but no progress has been made on four designs, and criticizes DCLA's lack of transparency and delayed FOIL response.
3:21:06 3 min 9 sec
Q&A
Chair Williams responds to Mikorenda on She Built NYC delays and transparency
Chair Williams says the Billie Holiday statue in her district has selected an artist but is delayed, agrees the program has stalled, and promises to follow up with the commissioner and have staff contact Mikorenda.
3:24:15 35 sec
Procedure
Chair Williams transitions to remote testimony
Chair Williams asks if anyone on Zoom wishes to testify, reads instructions for remote witnesses, and calls Beth followed by Amilcar.
3:24:50 2 min 42 sec
Public Testimony
Beth Prevor testifies on deaf access and Disability Forward Fund accountability
Beth Prevor of Hands-On Sign Interpretive Performances says deaf theatergoers still face barriers, the Disability Forward Fund lacks review and accountability, and asks for access reporting from city-funded organizations and real inclusion in decision-making.
3:27:32 12 sec
Procedure
Chair Williams asks Beth Prevor for her organization name
Chair Williams asks Beth Prevor to repeat her organization; Prevor says Hands-On Sign Interpretive Performances, which provides sign language interpreted theater in the city.
3:27:44 2 min 40 sec
Public Testimony
Amilcar Priestley testifies for Resolution 625 and reggaeton's Panamanian roots
Amilcar Priestley of the Afro-Latino Project and Afro-Latino Festival says reggaeton began with Afro-Caribbean communities in Panama translating Jamaican reggae into Spanish, traveled through Brooklyn, and was fused by Puerto Rican artists into a global genre.
3:30:24 56 sec
Procedure
Chair Williams closes public testimony and adjourns hearing
Chair Williams notes no other witnesses wish to testify, says written testimony can be submitted within 72 hours, and adjourns the hearing.