Mayor Zohran Mamdani partnered with the New York City Department of Small Business Services (SBS) this week to announce more than $8.4 million in grants for nonprofit and small business initiatives, including public art commissions and arts programming.
According to an August 17 statement, the Mayor’s Office distributed 89 grants across the city, with most of the funding going to Brooklyn. A spokesperson for the Mayor’s Office told Hyperallergic that recipients include the Red Hook Art Project, the Project for Public Spaces, the Fourth Arts Block, and Art on the Ave.
The grants may be used to help cover project expenses, marketing and programming materials, space rentals, and event costs.
For nonprofit arts groups citywide, the announcement was widely welcomed as a significant victory.
“This is a pivotal moment for our city and for public art,” Jean Cooney, who heads the arts nonprofit Creative Time, told Hyperallergic.
