press releases

For Immediate Release

This year’s grantees are all innovative partnerships that highlight the various tourism opportunities that New York State has to offer. They range from projects that attract tourists off the Staten Island Ferry and into the neighboring community; bring audiences into the homes of famed Hudson River School artists to witness the region’s dramatic vistas firsthand; and encourage drivers to explore the historic sites along the 445-mile long Great Lakes Seaway Trail. Three of the partnerships are previous grantees who have made significant enhancements to their projects, adding new partners and increasing their scope to reach an even larger audience. View a complete list of the award-winning projects.

Now in its seventh year, the Cultural Tourism Initiative provides funding for cultural organizations to expand and enhance their use of tourism to attract new visitors to and stimulate economic growth in their respective communities. To be eligible, a project’s lead arts organization must be a NYSCA grantee in good standing, form a partnership with a local tourism agency, and be able to match the grant with funding from other sources. This year’s winning projects were selected from 68 proposals submitted by organizations around the state. Grants ranged from $12,500 to $25,000.

New this year, Deutsche Bank Americas Foundation has provided additional private funding to support technical assistance in cultural tourism development for New York City. This grant will allow ABC/NY to offer workshops and assistance in tourism training and project development specific to community needs in Upper Manhattan, Brooklyn, Queens, the Bronx, and Staten Island.

The New York Statewide Cultural Tourism Coalition defines cultural tourism as travel that is directed toward experiencing the rich arts, heritage, and diversity of the people and landscapes of
New York State. Its findings show that cultural and historic trips in the state tend to last longer (5.2 nights versus the U.S. average of 4.1 nights, excluding transportation); and cultural travelers spend more ($623 per trip versus $457). New York’s tourism industry employs more than 750,000 people and generates more than $5.2 billion per year in revenue for local and state governments. Previously funded Cultural Tourism Initiative projects have had an estimated economic impact of more than $50 million.

Arts & Business Council of New York, a division of Americans for the Arts, stimulates partnerships between business and the arts that strengthen the New York State community. It is committed to joining the resources and reducing the distinction between arts and business, by serving both communities with programming in volunteerism, professional development, leadership development, and economic impact. Established as a result of the merger of operations with Americans for the Arts in 2005, Arts & Business Council of New York brings to its work the legacy and knowledge of 40 years of serving the community, now combined with the resources, history, and reputation of Americans for the Arts, the nation’s leading nonprofit organization for advancing the arts in America.

New York State Council on the Arts is a state-funding agency dedicated to preserving and expanding the rich and diverse cultural resources that are and will become the heritage of New York’s citizens. The Council strives to achieve its mission through its core grant-making activity and by convening field leaders, providing information and advisory support, and working with partners on special initiatives to achieve mutual goals.

The Deutsche Bank Americas Foundation administers the philanthropic activities of Deutsche Bank within the United States, Latin America, and Canada. Together, the Bank’s Community Development Group and Foundation carry out the firm’s corporate citizenship commitments through a program of loans, investments, and grants. Based in New York City, where the majority of grants are awarded, the Foundation supports nonprofit organizations that concentrate on community development, education, and the arts. Deutsche Bank is a leading global investment bank with a strong and profitable private clients franchise. With Euro 992 billion in assets and 63,427 employees, Deutsche Bank offers unparalleled financial services in 73 countries throughout the world.