A report by the Center for an Urban Future published in October 2023 on the vital role of the arts as a catalyst for upstate New York's economic revitalization has inspired a major initiative by Governor Hochul to boost economic development by investing in the arts, and led to a significant funding increase.

The state's FY 2025 budget includes a $40 million increase in grantmaking funds for the New York State Council on the Arts, allocating state dollars to replace funds lost with the end of federal COVID relief programs. CUF recommended this increase in our 2023 report, Upstate’s Creative Spark, and warned that the loss of federal funds could devastate New York's cultural sector's fragile recovery from the pandemic.

The state budget also includes three new programs initially proposed by Governor Hochul that were directly inspired by our research and recommendations. The budget allocates $1 million for a new public art program and $500,000 for a new artist residency program in state government agencies. The governor's team has also directed Empire State Development to create a destination marketing plan for arts and culture venues statewide. Our report put forward all three of these recommendations and we commend the governor and state legislature for enacting them.

This budget win follows an important shift in resource allocation through the state's Regional Economic Development Councils (REDCs). Our report urged the state to take steps to boost the representation of arts and culture leaders on each REDC and direct more investment toward cultural projects. In the first round of REDC grants since the release of Upstate’s Creative Spark, a record 10 percent of all funds were allocated to arts and culture projects—up from just 3.7 percent in 2021.

CUF applauds Governor Hochul and the State Legislature for investing in more equitable and sustainable local arts infrastructure and supporting working artists and cultural organizations in every corner of the state.