The New York City Department of Cultural Affairs (DCLA) has inducted five new members into its Cultural Institutions Group (CIG), an exclusive program that provides long-term operational subsidies to private arts organizations operating on public land. The new members—one from each borough—are Brooklyn’s BRIC, Manhattan’s Pregones/Puerto Rican Traveling Theater, the Bronx Children’s Museum, the Noble Maritime Collection on Staten Island, and the Louis Armstrong House Museum in Queens. The announcement was celebrated at a daytime event at BRIC on September 30, attended by local politicians and cultural leaders, including DCLA Commissioner Laurie Cumbo and Deputy Mayor Adolfo Carrión Jr. The expansion is the largest since the 1970s, bringing the total CIG membership to 39.
This expansion matters because it signals a significant, sustained municipal investment in community-based arts organizations, particularly those serving historically underserved communities and led by people of color. By formalizing long-term city support, the program helps stabilize institutions that provide essential cultural programming, education, and public gathering spaces across all five boroughs. The move also comes amid political transition, with Mayor Eric Adams withdrawing from re-election just days prior, underscoring the importance of institutionalizing arts funding beyond any single administration.