Guild Hall Receives State and NEA Grant Money

Guild Hall has received three grant awards totaling $50,000 from the New York State Council on the Arts (NYSCA) to support the recovery of the nonprofit arts and culture sector in the wake of COVID-19. Following New York State’s historic investment for the arts, NYSCA has awarded $90 million since spring 2022 to a record number of artists and organizations across the state. The funds will support learning and public engagement programming and rehiring of seasonal security and front-of-house staff.

Additionally, the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) has also approved a Grants for Arts Projects award of $20,000 to support Guild Hall’s Student Art Festival, “Eco V Ego” in-school residency programs. This is one of 1,251 Grants for Arts Projects awards totaling nearly $28.8 million, announced by the NEA as part of its first round of awards for the 2023 fiscal year.

In 2022, the Student Art Festival expanded to a multi-year in-school program. The program has engaged 21 artists within 14 schools to develop work for “Eco V Ego,” an exhibition that will take place in January 2024. Through this program, Guild Hall’s goal is to provide every school with an equal opportunity to enhance its curriculum, inspire young minds, support the creative economy and encourage greater civic life on the East End.

Of the NYSCA award, Governor Kathy Hochul said, “As a cultural capital of the world, New York State is strengthened by our expansive coverage of the arts across all 62 counties. This year’s historic commitment to the arts sector will spur our continuing recovery from the pandemic and set the course for a stronger future.”

NYSCA Executive Director Mara Manus said, “We are immensely grateful to Governor Hochul and the Legislature for their unprecedented investment of $240 million to support arts organizations across the state. New York State arts organizations such as Guild Hall are the cornerstone of our vibrant arts economy. As crucial drivers of our health and vitality, we are grateful to the unwavering dedication of arts workers across the state.”

NEA Chair Maria Rosario Jackson, Ph.D. shared “The National Endowment for the Arts is proud to support arts projects in communities nationwide. Projects such as this one with Guild Hall strengthen arts and cultural ecosystems, provide equitable opportunities for arts participation and practice, and contribute to the health of our communities and our economy.”