New York City doubles maximum grants for individual artists to $10,000

New York City Mayor Zohran Kwame Mamdani and Cultural Affairs Commissioner Diya Vij have announced that the city will double its maximum grant amount for individual artists and small non-profit arts organizations. The maximum single grant will increase from $5,000 to $10,000, marking the first such increase in approximately 20 years.

The funding, totaling roughly $3.5 million across five borough arts councils, aims to address the rising cost of living in the city. Mayor Mamdani noted that artists face the same pressures regarding housing, food, and childcare as other residents, and that the previous grant amount had lost value over two decades.

Applications are currently open for the Bronx, Brooklyn, Manhattan, and Queens councils, with Staten Island expected to open applications in November. In addition to the increased monetary support, grant recipients will receive access to monthly dedicated shopping days for free art supplies through Materials for the Arts.