 | |
| Department overview | |
|---|---|
| Formed | 1976; 50 years ago (1976) |
| Preceding department |
|
| Jurisdiction | New York City |
| Headquarters | 31 Chambers Street New York, NY 10007[1] |
| Employees | 51 (FY 2026) |
| Annual budget | $300.5 million (FY 2026)[2] |
| Department executive |
|
| Key document | |
| Website | www |
TheNew York City Department of Cultural Affairs (DCLA) is the department of thegovernment of New York City[3] dedicated to supporting New York City's cultural life. Among its primary missions is ensuring adequate public funding for non-profit cultural organizations throughout thefive boroughs.[4] The Department represents and serves non-profit cultural organizations involved in thevisual,literary andperforming arts; public-oriented science and humanities institutions includingzoos,botanical gardens andhistoric and preservation societies; and creative artists who live and work within the City'sfive boroughs.
The Office of Cultural Affairs (OCA), which prefigured the contemporary DCLA, was created in 1962 by MayorRobert F. Wagner Jr. In 1976, the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs was established as a separate city agency, headed by the Commissioner of Cultural Affairs, who is appointed by the Mayor.[5]
Its programs includeMaterials for the Arts, a large facility inLong Island City that distributes free reused supplies to arts organizations (in partnership with theNew York City Department of Sanitation). Its regulations are compiled in Title 58 of theNew York City Rules.
| Cultural Affairs Commissioner | Years in Office | Appointed by | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Doris Chanin Freedman | 1967-1970 | John Lindsay |
| 2 | H. Claude Shostal[6] | 1976–1977 | Abraham Beame |
| 3 | Henry Geldzahler | 1978–1982 | Ed Koch |
| 4 | Randall Bourscheidt (Acting)[7] | 1982–1983 | Ed Koch |
| 5 | Bess Myerson | 1983–1987 | Ed Koch |
| 6 | Mary Schmidt Campbell | 1987–1991 | Ed Koch |
| 7 | Luis R. Cancel[8] | 1991–1994 | David Dinkins |
| 8 | Schuyler G. Chapin | 1994–2001 | Rudolph Giuliani |
| 9 | Kate Levin[9] | 2002–2013 | Michael Bloomberg |
| 10 | Tom Finkelpearl | 2014–2019 | Bill de Blasio |
| 11 | Gonzalo Casals[10] | 2020–2022 | Bill de Blasio |
| 12 | Laurie Cumbo[11] | 2022–present | Eric Adams |
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