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CULTURE Klaus Biesenbach, Sheila Lewandowski, THE COURIER/PHOTO BY ALEXA ALTMAN Eric Pryor and Charles Rice-Gonzalez joined Councilmember Jimmy Van Bramer to celebrate the launch of the One Percent for Culture Campaign. New campaign pushes for . . . ‘One Percent for Culture’ BY ALEXA ALTMAN Arts and culture bring in $7.6 billion for the city with modest amounts. Imagine what could be done if of New York every year and provide jobs for roughly one percent of the city’s budget is given to culture?” The infamous moniker of “one percent” gained an 100,000 New Yorkers. According to Van Bramer, the Sheila Lewandowski, executive director of Long Is- innovative, positive meaning among the arts com- tourism boom, recently announced by Mayor Bloom- land City playhouse The Chocolate Factory, said that munity. berg, is in thanks to art institutions that entice visi- with extra funding, she could afford to increase wag- www.queenscourier.com At MoMA PS1 on Tuesday, January 8, Councilmem- tors from all over the world, adding that culture and es for the 100 artists on her payroll, purchase better ber Jimmy Van Bramer announced his support for the arts is one of the few areas of the city budget that equipment and decrease ticket prices. the One Percent for Culture campaign, a citywide generates revenue. “If we don’t value art, we might lose it,” said Le- initiative aimed at increasing funding towards art Cultural leaders from across the city joined Van wandowski. “One Percent for Culture is very valuable institutions and impressing upon the city the value Bramer to announce the initiave and speak on its be- to my organization, a small very experimental orga- of cultural nonprofits. The coalition, containing 245 half, including Klaus Biesenbach, director of MoMA nization, because it says we’re valuable. It’s the city members thus far, seeks to ensure that nonprofit PS1 and Eric Pryor, executive director of the Center saying ‘we see what you give back to the economy, to cultural establishments, responsible for assisting for Arts Education. Charles Rice-Gonzalez, executive the quality of life, to everything.” • january 2013 • the city to generate billions in annual revenue, are director of Bronx Academy for Arts & Dance (BAAD!) While Van Bramer called the announcement “a granted one percent of the city’s annual budget. said increased funding for arts organizations cre- very exciting time,” the councilmember added that Currently, arts and culture organizations receive a ates a symbiotic relationship between culture and it was imperative to secure “the expense funding to quarter of one percent of the city’s yearly budget. community, which serve to nourish and inspire each follow the capital funding.” “We know that that number and the billions in rev- other. “We have to be aggressive as a community. We 48 lic courier enue that get spun off because of that could not hap- “One Percent for Culture is about giving this vital have to know our value to the city of New York and pen without culture and the arts,” said Van Bramer. segment, the arts of our city, a chance to come up to make sure others know it too. Not everyone knows “The economy of the city of New York could not stand speed with the rest of the industry,” said Rice-Gon- that we are keeping the city running. No one should without culture and the arts. It simply could not.” zalez. “We have managed to make a great impact ever doubt the power of art and the power of artists.”


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