Megan White, Director (212) 741-7143
Steve Jones, Associate (212) 741-7141
Arian Blanco, Associate (212) 741-7824

The State and Local Partnership Program supports the growth and development of organizations operating at the regional, county, and local levels that advance local arts and cultural initiatives and offer comprehensive arts services essential to the state's continued cultural development.

The Program seeks to accomplish the following goals.

Strengthen the leadership role of local/regional arts organizations in encouraging local cultural development and increasing resources available for the arts

Encourage greater participation in the arts through support of a wide range of local, regional, and statewide programs and services responding to assessed cultural needs and reaching the full diversity of each community served

Enhance the professional capability of multi-arts organizations operating on the local level and arts service organizations promoting the development of the arts and providing arts services statewide

The Program primarily supports multi-arts centers, local arts councils, and multi-arts service organizations and places high priority on organizations that demonstrate a commitment to reach out to the full diversity of the communities they serve. The Program focuses on issues that affect organizational stability, professionalism, and effectiveness. Priority is given to professional staff development, catalytic projects that enhance the resources and visibility of the arts, and services that support individual artists.

New applicants to the Program are welcome to present requests in the Workshops, Information Services, and Administrative Salaries categories. New applicants are strongly advised to consult with Program staff well before the March registration deadline.

The Program also manages Decentralization (DEC), the Council's statewide regrant program. DEC provides support for community-based arts activities through a local decision-making grant process reflecting the unique character of each of the state's communities. Through the efforts of a network of local arts organizations, DEC is available to artists and organizations in each of the state's 62 counties.

Definitions

Local Arts Councils
The Program supports the provision of arts services by local arts councils which may include such activities as local arts advocacy, regranting, arts marketing efforts, formal programs of technical and developmental assistance for artists and arts organizations, and information services for artists and the general public. Local arts councils demonstrate a commitment to providing access to service resources and information for artists and arts organizations across artistic disciplines. Support for local arts programming is provided only where there is a documented community need for such activity that does not duplicate existing activities in a community. In these cases, the Program requires a balance of programming and service offerings. Local arts councils with missions that are primarily programmatic, as opposed to service-directed, may not be eligible.

Multi-Arts Centers
A multi-arts center is an organization that owns or operates an accessible cultural facility. Eligible multi-arts centers provide a multi-discipline menu of arts and cultural activities and offer participatory community arts programs, presentations, and exhibitions along with a range of resources for individual artists. Programs must be offered in at least two of the following areas: performing arts, visual arts, media arts, and literary arts.   (Community music schools, even those with some multi-arts programs, are referred to the Music Program's Community Music Schools.)

Multi-Arts Service Organizations
Multi-arts service organizations provide access to professional resources, information, and developmental and/or technical services for artists and arts organizations across the range of artistic disciplines. Single discipline service organizations are not eligible for support in this Program and should refer, instead, to the relevant NYSCA discipline Program.

Evaluative Criteria

Grant requests in this Program are evaluated in accordance with the relevant agency-wide criteria.

Artistic Evaluation

The Council must be able to evaluate an applicant's artistic quality on an ongoing basis. It is the responsibility of all current and prospective applicants to inform the Program of public programs at least four weeks in advance of the event date. This is required so that staff, advisory panelists, or program auditors may attend and evaluate the events.