A Fall Bounty of Arts in the City
As New York City is enveloped by the autumn air and the season’s latest fashions, many of us are left with lasting impressions of its vibrant summer cultural scene.
Etched in our memories are the outstanding dance performances of Ballet Nacional de Cuba at the Brooklyn Academy of Music, the Pascal Rioult and Pilobolus seasons at the Joyce Theater, and, of course, the performance highlights that were a part of the Lincoln Center Festival including the Kirov Ballet, David Michalik's Portraits in Dramatic Time, Royal Shakespeare Company at the Armory, and Mark Morris, just to name a few.
One summer highlight was the Royal Shakespeare Company's performance of As You Like It during the Lincoln Center Festival. Photo © Stephanie Berger.
There was the exceptional Alexander McQueen exhibit at the Metropolitan Museum that had New Yorkers and tourists from across the globe lining up for hours. Downtown at the New Museum, the exceptional exhibit Ostalgia brought together the works of more than 50 artists from 20 countries across Eastern Europe and the former Soviet Republics.
Coming up, appearing at the Public Theater and directed by James Macdonald will be Shakespeare's King Lear on October 18. Also, Ma-Yi Theater Company has announced its 2011–2012 season, which will begin on November 8 with Carla Ching's The Sugar House at the Edge of Wilderness at the Connelly Theater.
But none of these rich cultural experiences would be possible without the support of enthusiastic audiences—New York City residents and tourists—as well as fellow funders. According to the Alliance for the Arts’ June 2011 report [PDF] on the state of New York City’s arts scene, nonprofit cultural organizations rely on private support for 35 percent of their income; 17 percent comes from the government—a source of funding that continues to be decreased. We urge our foundation partners to recognize the importance of helping to restore the vitality of our city’s arts and cultural institutions.
We are proud to have supported the small sampling of arts organizations recounted above. In addition to our grantmaking, the RBF’s Pocantico Center, located 20 miles north of the city, offers public programs, including lectures and cultural events, as well as support to artists and arts organizations in the greater New York City area. In 2008, we launched an inaugural residency at the historic Marcel Breuer House at Pocantico. Since then, we have grown from one resident to hosting 12 artists this year.
Between September 30 and December 1, 2011, we will be accepting applications for the 2011–2012 Charles E. Culpeper Arts & Culture grants. The Fund’s New York City program staff look forward to learning about all of the many new and exciting work being created in the city by our many talented artists and dedicated arts professionals.
Please be sure to check out the complete guidelines before applying.