New York – February 28, 2017 – The following is a joint statement from interim co-chairs of the newly established New Yorkers for Culture and Arts, John F. Calvelli, Executive Vice President of Public Affairs, Wildlife Conservation Society, and Andrea Louie, Executive Director of the Asian American Arts Alliance:

“The New York City Arts Coalition and One Percent for Culture are announcing that they are merging to form a new organization – New Yorkers for Culture & Arts. 

“For the past several years, The New York City Arts Coalition and One Percent for Culture have working in close collaboration to advocate for the arts and cultural communities in New York City’s five boroughs. New Yorkers for Culture & Arts will leverage the resources of both organizations to advocate for strong policies and secure public funding for arts and culture while advancing equity, diversity, and inclusion to help ensure a vibrant future for New York City.

“The time has never been more critical to establish a dynamic, robust cultural advocacy organization that will benefit all New Yorkers. Culture and arts are the means by which we break down barriers, begin acknowledging and redressing historical injustices, heal our wounds, and explore our shared humanity.”

An interim Board of Directors will oversee the new organization's key programmatic activities this year, including advocating for increased City funding for the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs in the FY18 budget, ensuring that candidates in the upcoming City election hear from the cultural community, and contributing to the City’s first-ever Cultural Plan.

Interim Co-Chairs are John Calvelli, Executive Vice President of Public Affairs, Wildlife Conservation Society and Andrea Louie, Executive Director of the Asian American Arts Alliance.

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