General Info

The New York State Council on the Arts (NYSCA) is an arts council serving the state of New York. The council was established in 1960 through a bill introduced in the New York State Legislature by New York State Senator MacNeil Mitchell, with backing from then Governor Nelson Rockefeller. It began its work in 1961. The coucil awards more than 2,700 grants each year to arts organizations in every arts discipline. It was the first agency of its kind in the nation, predating the National Endowment for the Arts and other state arts agencies. The council "is dedicated to preserving and expanding the rich and diverse cultural resources that are and will become the heritage of New York's citizens." The New York State Council on the Arts is located in Manhattan, N.Y.