Growing up in Queens, singing gave me a strong sense of belonging and it showed me the power of community. It taught me how to truly listen, harmonize with others, and value diverse voices coming together. Those early lessons shaped the kind of leader I am today—someone who believes deeply in collaboration and the strength we gain when everyone’s voice matters.

I have always had this body. However, I learned to love my curves and self in middle school through dance. At Roberto Clemente Middle School in Harlem, I was part of the Dance Academy—a beacon of joy and discipline led by Ms. Terri Franklin, an angel who danced with Alvin Ailey. She gave me first pair of leotards and tights, we learned how to walk with grace, plié with strength, and move with our heads up and with pride. But Ms. Franklin gave us more than choreography—she gave us the world, taking us to Broadway plays, traversing the city and giving us the chance to perform on stage for our peers and family. Years later, I walked into a jazz night in Harlem, there she was—my middle school dance teacher, stepping onto the stage. My heart exploded. Few of us ever got the chance to say thank you to the educators who changed our lives. That night, I did.

As a board member at DreamYard, I witness every day how the arts improve educational outcomes for students in the Bronx, an impact that can and should be replicated citywide. I’ve seen firsthand the transformative power of the arts. Growing up in the Bronx, during a time when elementary and middle schools still offered real, in-depth arts education it was an experience I’ll never forget. We had designated art rooms, music classes with instruments, and teachers who treated creativity with the same seriousness as math or reading. I remember walking into a classroom filled with paint, brushes, and clay, where imagination wasn’t just encouraged, it was structured and valued. Those experiences I have had with the arts have taught me to listen, to collaborate, and to lead, skills I use to this day in public service. These classes were not just to pass the time, they nurtured identity, discipline, and the power of storytelling. What I gained was more than artistic exposure, I gained a belief that my voice, my culture, and my perspective had a place. That belief became foundational to my leadership and to how I advocate for young people across this city.

One of my earliest and most meaningful experiences with the arts was playing a bee in pre-K and a mouse in kindergarten. Those roles might seem small, but for me, they sparked a lifelong relationship with performance and storytelling. From that point on, the stage became a place where I felt at home. That early exposure to the arts gave me confidence, self-expression, and a sense of belonging.

Today, as a journalist and professor, I view the classroom and the studio as stages—spaces where content is created not just to inform, but to inspire and connect. The arts taught me the power of storytelling, the importance of emotion, and the value of leaving people with a memory that moves them. It shaped how I show up in the world, and it’s one of the reasons I advocate so strongly for arts education in our schools.

As a public school student in NYC, I remember taking part in a community mural project that brought together students, local artists, and residents to transform a neglected wall into a vibrant reflection of our culture. That experience taught me how art can heal, empower, and unite. It wasn’t just about painting—it was about storytelling, pride, and reclaiming space. It showed me how powerful the arts are in shaping identity and building stronger communities.

In her elementary school (PS 107, in Brooklyn), my daughter Rosa discovered a love of visual and textile arts through programs at school, in the afterschool program there, and at a range of other community-based arts programs (BAX, Brooklyn Children’s Theater, and the Textile Arts Center). At age 7, she convinced us to buy her a sewing machine, and developed a passion for sustainable fashion that continues to this day. While she’s planning to go to law school and hopes to work in restorative justice, she’s become a textile arts mentor in college (to high school students from low-income neighborhoods nearby), makes clothes for friends and family – and last week she and I had the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to attend the Met Gala, where she helped to platform a Brooklyn-based Black artist (Parron Allen) and tell a powerful story about Black tailoring and garment workers, aligned with the theme.

Meanwhile, the relationships we developed at the Brooklyn Children’s Theater led me to support their work at several public schools in Kensington, in partnership with the Bangladeshi Institute for the Performing Arts, and also to support visual and textile arts, theater programs, circus programs, and more that have flourished over time – and led many diverse young people into careers in the arts and culture and media, and to joy in lifelong avocations. These experiences have enabled me to see, up close and personally, the power that arts education has in putting rocket fuel in the imaginations of our diverse young people, helping them blast off to places we never could have imagined – and helping to power the creative economy of our city as well. It has been a true delight, and brought as much joy to my heart as almost anything. I’ve been fortunate to be able to support many institutions who do this work – and as mayor, I can’t wait to partner with so many more, making experiences like this possible for the next generation of New York’s young people.

In middle school, I was the only boy on the step team. That might not sound like a big deal, but at the time, it was, and it turned out to be a formative experience for me. I remember getting clowned by the other guys, “Z, you’re on the step team? Isn’t that a girl activity?” But I stuck with it, because I loved it. And then came our first performance in front of the whole school. When my part came up and I stepped out alone, the crowd went wild, and suddenly, all those boys who had teased me wanted to sign up too.

That moment taught me a few things that have stayed with me: the power of being true to yourself, the ability of the arts to shift perceptions, and how leadership sometimes just means going first. It also showed me that the arts can open doors, not just to creativity, but to confidence, community, and connection. That’s why I believe every child in this city should have the opportunity to express themselves, take risks, and be seen through the arts. Because for so many of us, those experiences stay with us for life.

As a young boy, I was blessed with the ability to experience the arts firsthand through my Uncle Jimmy. My uncle was an actor who put on performances in upstate New York and encouraged myself & my siblings to participate. The first performance I took part in was during the summertime during grade school and the play was about the Mayflower Pilgrams landing at Plymouth Rock. Although I was young, I was able to learn about history but also about the importance of audience interaction and self-expression. Theatre formed a powerful base of understanding that has guided my entire life’s mission.

My wife, Elyse Buxbaum, previously worked in the National Museum of Women in the Arts in Washington DC, the National Design Museum, and the Jewish Museum, which means throughout our relationship, I have been lucky enough to see exquisite visual art through her eyes. Not only did this bring us closer together, but enabled me to connect with my cultural roots and gave me greater insight into myself and the communities I engage with every day. Although I have always had a love for the arts, my passion, deeper knowledge, and appreciation of the arts were fostered by Elyse. I am dedicated to ensuring every New Yorker has the opportunity to learn about themselves and the world around them through access to art in all its forms and arts education in schools.

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I was apart of the Spanish Dance Club in high school.  I enjoyed this experience tremendously.  We competed against the high schools in the area and each year we won either first or second place.

One meaningful experience that stands out to me is participating in a community choir. Singing with others brought people together and created a sense of unity and purpose.

What I gained from this experience:

— Appreciation for collaboration: Working together towards a common goal, harmonizing voices, and creating something beautiful as a collective effort.
— Confidence boost: Overcoming stage fright and performing in front of an audience helped build confidence and self-esteem.
— Stress relief: Singing and being part of a creative activity provided a healthy outlet for stress and anxiety.
— Community connection: Bonding with fellow choir members over shared passion for music created lasting friendships and a sense of belonging.

This experience taught me the value of the arts in bringing people together, fostering creativity, and providing a platform for self-expression. As a mayoral candidate, I’d love to support initiatives that promote arts accessibility and community engagement.

As City Council Speaker, I’ve prioritized funding for libraries, our cultural sector, and arts education, including securing $41 million to protect arts programs from funding cuts and increasing per-student arts funding to $100. I’ve also worked to ensure every school has certified arts teachers to reduce inequities across neighborhoods.

The arts are essential to helping children grow—they nurture creativity, social-emotional development, and critical thinking, enriching their entire education. As Mayor, I’ll continue investing in the arts by providing dedicated funding and resources, ensuring schools have adequate space, improving contracting for arts education groups, and embedding arts firmly into school curriculums. I will not excuse the City’s failure to provide students with arts education by deferring to individual school budgets, but will ensure our schools have the resources and utilize them to provide arts education.

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The arts are not extracurricular, they are foundational to a child’s intellectual, emotional, and social development. Arts education cultivates critical thinking, confidence, cultural awareness, and resilience. As mayor, I will ensure every child, regardless of ZIP code, has access to a full, sequential arts curriculum supported by certified teachers and robust partnerships with cultural institutions. My education plan proposes codifying access to quality education in the City Charter, aligning education policy across agencies, and fully funding universal Pre-K and childcare, which includes age-appropriate arts learning. We will secure sustainable funding and require schools to designate protected instructional time and dedicated spaces for arts programs so that creativity is never compromised by budget cuts or overcrowding.

As a therapist and a creative myself, I’ve seen firsthand how essential self-expression is to emotional well-being and social development. The arts are not just enrichment—they are a vital tool for helping children understand themselves and connect with others. Dance, music, media, theater, and visual arts provide safe, constructive outlets for emotion, creativity, and imagination.

As mayor, I will champion policies that ensure every child in every zip code has consistent access to high-quality arts education. That includes protecting dedicated funding streams, expanding partnerships with community-based arts organizations, and making sure that schools have the space and staff to support robust arts programming. I will work with school leaders to prioritize contracts that bring in teaching artists and create more full-time arts educator positions.

Ultimately, the arts are not extra—they are essential. And I will fight to make sure they’re treated that way.

Arts are essential to a well-rounded education. They fuel creativity, critical thinking, emotional expression, and confidence—all of which are key to success in any field. As mayor, I will prioritize arts funding within the Department of Education by making financial transparency and accountability in the DOE a core mandate of my administration. I support reintroducing home economics, music, visual arts, and media literacy into the curriculum as part of my platform to bring back essential life and cultural skills. I will advocate for guaranteed budget allocations for arts programs in every school, push for dedicated arts spaces, and ensure cultural contracts are accessible to grassroots and community-based arts organizations, not just large institutions.

Arts in our schools help motivate and excite students to come to school in the first place; support their wellbeing, develop their creativity, imagination, joy, and confidence; help children with different learning styles, show students how to express themselves in different ways; enable students to work together on plays and projects they will remember all their lives; and help students discover talents they will retain for their entire lives, including ones that will propel many of them into careers in the arts.

Ensuring access to arts and enrichment programs are key components of my Framework for Great Public Schools and a well rounded education. As highlighted in my education plan, I will protect and further strengthen our arts, athletics, and enrichment programs. I will fully fund arts education in our schools after many years of neglect, and I will tap into the unmet potential of culture and arts education to support well-being by further integrating culture and arts into programs for students with disabilities, into mental health supports, and into the curriculum. I will baseline the $68M in supplemental funding for the arts schools now received in the form of a school allocation memorandum, and work to ensure that MWBEs are well represented among the vendors providing arts programs in our schools.

The arts are not extracurricular, they are essential. A well-rounded education must include robust access to the arts, which support academic achievement, emotional development, and critical thinking. For so many young people, especially those navigating trauma or instability, the arts provide an outlet for self-expression and a path to confidence and connection. As a public school graduate myself, I know firsthand how transformative arts education can be, and as Mayor, I will treat it as a core component of educational equity.

In the State Senate, I’ve fought to enshrine arts education as a right for every student. I co-sponsored S6318A, which mandates the inclusion of arts and music education in every public school and ensures instruction is delivered by appropriately certified teachers. I also co-sponsored S285, which formally designates arts and music as essential components of the core curriculum, recognizing that creativity and artistic literacy are just as vital as math or science in a child’s development.

Right now, arts education in our city is held together by a patchwork of discretionary funding, opaque contracting processes, and inconsistent infrastructure. The Cultural After-School Adventures (CASA) program, funded through City Council allocations, has been a lifeline for hundreds of schools, bringing in community-based arts organizations to offer dance, music, visual arts, and cultural programming. But the program is not baselined, meaning its future is uncertain year to year, and schools must rely on individual Council Members for access. Many schools lack even a designated space for the arts, and grassroots organizations, especially those led by BIPOC and immigrant communities, face enormous hurdles navigating the DOE’s procurement system. As Mayor, I will push to baseline arts education funding so that every child has consistent access regardless of their zip code or political representation. I will also examine the DOE’s contracting process to remove barriers for smaller cultural groups and make it easier for diverse local partners to bring their gifts into our classrooms. Creativity is not a luxury–it’s how we build confidence, community, and opportunity. My administration will treat it as such.

Learning the arts is imperative for the holistic development of the child’s mind. The arts help children gain an understanding of how to express themselves in meaningful ways without barriers or inhibitions. In artistic expression, there is no right or wrong and no judgement, just creativity. Arts can be an amazing galvanizing force for children in the educational setting because it allows expression in an open format with no parameters. To create more settings for children to be appreciated in such ways is important in a school setting because it lets young people know that their voice matters. In response to unprecedented truancy rates, I believe a revival of the arts in schools will provide a medium for children to be more motivated to attend school.

Math and literacy are important, they are essential to a successful professional future and fulfilling one’s civic responsibilities. The arts, however, are what make us human. Expansive exposure to art deepens students’ understanding of the world around them. The creative process is essential to fostering collaboration and developing communication skills. Simply, a child’s education is incomplete without a vibrant arts and cultural curriculum.

All students must have access to quality arts education. One of my greatest accomplishments as Comptroller was partnering with Mayor de Blasio and Schools Chancellor Carmen Fariña to make a $23 million investment in arts education. We improved arts facilities across the city, fostered partnerships with countless arts institutions in all five boroughs, and hired 120 new certified art teachers to work in NYC public schools, expanding arts opportunities for thousands of students. I worked with members of the Assembly to establish a task force dedicated to examining the state of arts and music education statewide, making sure that every child – from Brooklyn to Buffalo – received a quality arts education.

My Tri-Share Childcare Fund proposal is dedicated to expanding access to foundational education and enabling early childcare providers to expand their programming to include more expansive early arts education. My extended school day plan partners with local cultural and arts organizations to provide afterschool programs in every public school across the city. A key aspect of my housing plan is building mixed-use developments that would include classroom space for arts education built into almost every new affordable housing complex. We plan on tapping into various block grants to fund all these initiatives, some of which explicitly stipulate a portion be allocated for arts and arts education, thus creating a direct line of funding, protecting these programs from any budgetary attacks levied by the federal government. As mayor, protecting and expanding the arts in our schools and in our city will be a key focus and will inform all of the policy decisions I make in office. The arts are essential for our kids’ development, are integral to the city’s economic recovery and growth, and define the culture of New York City.

I believe the arts are fundamental to a child’s education, fostering creativity, critical thinking, and emotional resilience, especially if introduced at a young age.

I would advocate for increased funding for arts education, building on initiatives like the NYC Council’s “Support for Arts Instruction,” which allocated $4 million in 2025 to 239 schools. I would push to expand this to $6 million and ensure per-student arts allocations (currently $80.47) are raised to $100 and made mandatory, preventing schools from diverting these funds to non-arts purposes

I feel strongly about the arts playing a significant role in a child’s education and I would support and work with school leaders to ensure that arts education is prioritized.  I will encourage ideas and suggestions from the dance and art teachers.

The arts play a vital role in a child’s education, fostering creativity, critical thinking, and problem-solving skills. As Mayor, I would prioritize arts education in our city’s schools.

Some potential initiatives to support arts education:

— Funding: Increase funding for arts programs, ensuring equitable access for all students.
— Integration: Incorporate arts into STEM education, promoting STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Math) initiatives.
— Partnerships: Collaborate with local arts organizations, museums, and cultural institutions to provide resources and opportunities for students.
— Professional development: Provide training and support for teachers to effectively integrate arts into their curriculum.

To ensure arts education is prioritized, I would:

— Develop policies: Create policies that support arts education, such as requiring a certain number of arts classes per week.
— Allocate resources: Ensure schools have necessary resources, including space, equipment, and materials, to support arts programs.
— Community engagement: Engage with parents, teachers, and local arts organizations to promote the importance of arts education.

By prioritizing arts education, we can provide students with a well-rounded education, fostering creativity, innovation, and cultural appreciation.

As Council Speaker, I prioritized funding for arts organizations led by Black, Latino, Asian, and other people of color—ensuring grants and resources reach them directly. As Mayor, I’ll further this priority by establishing clear, accountable standards that ensure city funding reflects New York’s diversity. I’ll work closely with fully representative community groups to continue efforts to improve our procurement processes and remove barriers that unfairly disadvantage smaller, community-based arts organizations.

Real equity in arts funding means communities of color not only survive but thrive, and I will make sure city policy backs that vision with meaningful, targeted investments and follow-through in implementation.

Candidate skipped the question.

Equity with teeth is not just a slogan, it’s a strategy. As outlined in my Economic Justice Plan, my administration will prioritize contracts, investments, and cultural funding that reflect the diversity of our city. I will expand MWBE protections, enforce equity audits in grantmaking, and create transparent, borough-based funding formulas so that arts organizations led by Black, Latino, AAPI, and Indigenous leaders receive sustained public support. We will dedicate city funding to cultural resilience zones in historically underfunded neighborhoods, ensuring that these vital institutions remain embedded in the communities they serve. Also, we will create public dashboards tracking the flow of cultural resources because transparency is the foundation of true equity.

Arts and cultural organizations led by people of color are vital to helping communities thrive, yet they remain underfunded and overlooked. As a therapist and creative, I know that access to the arts improves mental health outcomes, especially for teens. When young people can express themselves, see their culture honored, and feel a sense of belonging, they develop stronger emotional resilience and long-term well-being.

As mayor, I will push for an equity-based funding model that invests in these organizations for the long haul—not just through grants, but through access to city space, infrastructure, and sustained public-private partnerships. New York is known around the world for its artistic output—it’s a core part of our identity. I will collaborate with communities and cultural leaders to protect that legacy and ensure every neighborhood has the resources to create, lead, and thrive.

Equity is central to my platform. I will create a City Cultural Equity Fund to directly support arts organizations led by people of color, particularly in underserved communities. These groups should not have to jump through excessive hoops for small grants while larger institutions receive the bulk of funding. I will also prioritize city contracts and space allocations for BIPOC-led cultural groups, ensuring fair opportunities in every borough. My administration will include a Cultural Equity Accountability Office to track funding distribution and hold city agencies accountable.

From world-renowned museums to neighborhood arts spaces, arts and organizations led by people of color educate, inspire, and create jobs. The City must invest in these institutions to ensure they remain accessible, sustainable, and reflective of our diverse communities. City government can and should be a better partner in uplifting diverse cultural organizations. As mayor, I will:

— Provide more funding for individual artists and small arts organizations, by increasing support for borough-based local arts councils and arts service organizations, which are more likely to reflect the diversity and cultural richness of our city. 

— Increase the number of Cultural Institutions Group (CIG) members. Through DCLA, the City provides the 34 current members of the CIG with operating and capital funding, energy subsidies, and access to city-owned property. While supporting CIG members alone will not build the equitable arts and culture ecosystem we need, the CIG is one important piece of the puzzle. Workers employed by CIG members benefit from pensions, health and welfare plans, union protections, and more. In return, CIG members maintain public cultural assets and offer accessible programming. Brad will add new members to the CIG to ensure the sustainability of more of our city’s diverse cultural institutions.

— Safeguard and celebrate the diverse culture and history of Black, Latino, and AAPI cultures by significantly increasing funding and support for individual artists, small arts organizations, and borough based local arts councils ensuring that these vital institutions reflect and serve our diverse communities.

I believe cultural equity must be a core principle of how our city funds, supports, and uplifts the arts. For too long, BIPOC-led arts and cultural organizations have been underfunded and overlooked, despite playing a vital role in educating our youth, preserving community heritage, and driving neighborhood resilience. This is not just a funding issue, it’s a justice issue.

That’s why in the State Senate, I proudly co-sponsored S115A, legislation that directs the New York State Council on the Arts to center equity in its funding decisions. The bill explicitly aims to expand access for culturally diverse organizations and requires the Council to consider historic inequities in representation when awarding grants and appointments. It reflects a recognition that longstanding structural disparities must be actively addressed, not just acknowledged.

As Mayor, I will commit to equitable distribution of public resources by strengthening and expanding programs that prioritize organizations led by and serving communities of color. Right now, opaque and burdensome contracting processes block many of the most impactful groups from reaching our students. New York City is a global cultural capital, but too often the institutions that define our neighborhoods and serve our young people are left out of city funding streams. Under my administration, we will center their leadership, trust their vision, and invest in their sustainability.

Every school and every student should have equal access to the ability to express themselves in the area of arts without question. Current programs that exist in the school system are based on a patchwork of factors, but the city can go beyond basic one size fits all protocols and ensure that every school is provided funding for this essential element of every student’s development. In the same way that every school curriculum teaches courses on mathematics and reading as core curriculum, arts should be mandated as a part of core curriculum since they are as essential in developing young children to become thoughtful citizens. No child should ever be denied the chance to express their thoughts and ideas in an artistic format.

Yes. Ensuring equitable funding for arts and culture in communities across the City will be a priority for my administration. I will expand support for arts organizations providing programs that inspire and enrich the lives of the next generation of young people.

Also, as we look to partner with local and community organizations to create new classes and programs across the public school system, my team will prioritize nonprofits and MWBEs to provide services to ensure fair and equal representation in our schools and communities and to ensure those businesses and organizations are given the opportunity to grow and thrive.

I’d work with DCLA to reform grantmaking processes to eliminate biases that disadvantage smaller, BIPOC-led organizations, building on CreateNYC’s equity-driven reforms. This includes simplifying application processes and providing multilingual resources, as recommended in CreateNYC.

I’d push for legislation requiring demographic data collection from cultural organizations receiving city funds, addressing gaps in CreateNYC’s initial plan, which lacked measurable diversity metrics. This would ensure accountability for equitable funding distribution.

I will make dance and art an equal priority to the other school subjects.

To address the issue of underfunding for arts and cultural organizations led by people of color, I would prioritize equitable distribution of resources. Some potential initiatives include:

— Increased funding: Allocate additional funds to support arts and cultural organizations led by people of color, ensuring they have the necessary resources to thrive.
— Targeted support: Provide targeted support for capacity-building, including training, technical assistance, and networking opportunities.
— Inclusive grantmaking: Implement inclusive grantmaking practices that prioritize organizations serving diverse communities.
— Community engagement: Engage with community leaders, artists, and organizations to understand their needs and develop effective solutions.

To ensure sustainability and growth, I would:

— Develop partnerships: Foster partnerships between organizations, government agencies, and private sector stakeholders to leverage resources and expertise.
— Capacity-building initiatives: Support initiatives that build capacity, including staffing, infrastructure, and program development.
— Evaluation and assessment: Develop evaluation frameworks that prioritize cultural relevance and community impact, ensuring funding decisions are informed by community needs.

By prioritizing equitable distribution of resources, we can support the growth and sustainability of arts and cultural organizations led by people of color, ultimately benefiting the communities they serve.

Arts education can’t be optional—it’s vital. It’s deeply concerning that so many schools aren’t meeting state arts requirements, leaving thousands of students without crucial developmental and learning opportunities.

As Mayor, I’ll make sure NYC schools fully and consistently comply with state mandates. I’ll work closely with school leaders, parents and students to ensure DOE is accountable, tracking compliance openly and transparently. My administration will ensure schools have sufficient funding, dedicated arts educators, and adequate classroom space to meet these standards. I’ll also simplify contracting processes so schools can partner more easily with arts groups, ensuring every student receives the comprehensive arts education they deserve and are owed.

Yes—and, more importantly, we must openly admit that the failure to meet arts education mandates is a symptom of a much deeper issue: a school culture that is fueled the Social Reproduction of Failure. Our system has been locked in a testing culture that lowers expectations, narrows learning and limits the human potential of both students and teachers. To truly transform schools, we must articulate a definition of The Prepared Graduate to include creative confidence, cultural fluency, thinking mathematically to learn, language fluency, and holistic wellness. My work in education has led real change by helping leaders and teachers transform the culture of teaching and learning by helping them build meaningful relationships with students, families, and each other. In addition, you must equip educators with the content knowledge and pedagogical content knowledge to engage learners.

Right now, the instructional model in all classrooms resembles a game of tennis: back-and-forth, predictable, and teacher-dominated. This approach stifles the voice, creativity, and confidence of learners. To meet and exceed arts education mandates, we must change how we teach—not just what we teach. Changing the culture by expanding professional learning on arts integration, supportive monitoring, and investing in partnerships with local artists and cultural institutions. Compliance is the floor. My goal as the Mayor of NYC is transformation.

Yes. Compliance with state arts education mandates is a baseline obligation, not an optional enrichment. My administration will enforce these mandates by tying school compliance to resource allocations, creating public dashboards to track progress, and directing the Department of Education to prioritize hiring certified arts educators. We will empower families and educators to file grievances when mandates are not met, backed by a new Office of Arts Education Equity and Compliance. And we will engage cultural organizations and teaching artists in co-developing implementation strategies to ensure mandates are met in ways that are inclusive, joyful, and sustainable.

Yes. As mayor, I will ensure that NYC Public Schools fully enforce and implement city and state arts education mandates. Noncompliance with these requirements isn’t just a bureaucratic failure—it’s a barrier to student growth, wellness, and opportunity. When schools fall short on arts instruction, it’s often students in under-resourced communities who suffer most.

I will work with the Chancellor to track compliance, require transparent reporting, and provide targeted funding for certified arts teachers, supplies, and dedicated space. This is about more than our creative future—it’s about mental health, emotional development, and giving every student a chance to thrive. Arts education is a right, not a privilege, and I’ll treat it as such.

Yes. My campaign is rooted in transparency, accountability, and putting NYC students first. As mayor, I will require the DOE to publicly report compliance with arts learning mandates, and I will tie principal and district leadership evaluations in part to meeting these requirements. We will audit current resource allocations and reallocate funds to ensure compliance with arts mandates is met in every school. I will also push for stronger oversight from the City Council and Public Advocate on this issue.

As Mayor, I will require all NYC Public Schools to implement city and state arts learning mandates, to help all of their students thrive. The NYSED Arts middle school requirements include two or more semesters of arts instruction by certified arts teachers in two different art forms. According to DOE data, 78% of 8th graders have had two or more semesters of arts instruction, but not two different forms by certified arts teachers. This illustrates the limits many schools face in hiring multiple arts teachers, especially smaller schools with limited per pupil funding for staff. Right now schools receive supplemental arts funding in the form of a school allocation memorandum (SAM), but often that allocation is not enough to hire an additional teacher. As mayor, I will conduct a review of that SAM to see which middle schools are not meeting the standard and whether an increase in that allocation or a staffing change could help.

My Afterschool Plan aims to make every school a community school, with arts and cultural activities at their core. My plan improves enrichment opportunities for Summer Rising which could also help meet the arts learning mandate. And for small schools, I will look at whether sharing certified arts teachers will enable those schools to meet the standard. The Brooklyn STEAM Center could be a model for an arts hub staffed by certified teachers where students from different schools could come for project based arts instruction.

Yes, absolutely. If we expect our young people to meet high standards, the city must meet its own. It is unacceptable that the vast majority of middle school students are not receiving the arts instruction required by state law. When schools fall out of compliance with NYSED’s Arts Learning Requirements, it’s not just a bureaucratic failure, it’s a denial of opportunity.

As Mayor, I will strengthen partnerships with local arts organizations, especially those led by BIPOC and immigrant New Yorkers, to help schools meet mandates in culturally relevant and community-rooted ways.

This is about more than checking a box. Enforcing these requirements is how we affirm that arts education matters just as much as math or reading, and that every child deserves the full promise of a public education that nurtures their voice, vision, and potential.

I would require that, and the way to ensure compliance is through consistent oversight with annual reporting. By expanding accountability measures, we can publicly identify schools that are not in compliance and take immediate corrective action. This includes providing more targeted support and enhanced monitoring for schools that are struggling to meet the requirements, as well as allocating funding to those that need financial assistance in order to implement a robust arts curriculum.

It is unjust to rob students of the arts — a vital part of a well-rounded education that nurtures creativity, confidence, and emotional expression. We must do better to create an environment where every student has the opportunity to explore their artistic passions and flourish.

As Comptroller, I published the landmark report titled State of the Arts: A Plan to Boost Arts Education in New York City Schools, highlighting the lack of adequate arts education present throughout the public education system. At the time I recommended embedding arts education data into the Department of Education’s School Progress Report to create transparency between the schools and parents at home, dedicated arts funding to meet the basic standards at every school, expanded partnership with local cultural organzations and artist collectives, and no-net loss policies to ensure the preservation of arts spaces in schools. It is clear by the inaction of the de Blasio and Adams administrations that arts and culture were an afterthought to them.

Under a Stringer administration, that would change. I would require every single NYC Public School to properly implement arts learning. My childcare plan is built upon expanding public school curricula to include a heavy emphasis on arts and local cultural education. We will tap into grants and national funding blocks dedicated to artistic education to create a direct line of funds that will ensure every school is in compliance with NYS requirements and facilitates creative expression for all students. To ensure funds are being used appropriately, my ethics and corruption plan creates a regular reporting structure that will allow the public access to quarterly reports from each agency in the city. Through this accountability program – QualitySTAT – my newly appointed Deputy Mayor for Quality-of-Life will oversee the day-to-day operations within the public schools and ensure broad compliance with the laws and that every child is getting the quality arts education they deserve.

Yes I would. I would push for a City Council resolution requiring the DOE to align its accountability framework with NYSED arts mandates, incorporating arts compliance into the annual School Leadership Team evaluations. I’d also support the New York City Bar Association’s 2023 call for equitable arts access, urging the Chancellor to prioritize enforcement.

Yes, and I will invite the local art instructors to a roundtable and ask for suggestions and ideas and these ideas will be implemented.

As Mayor, I would prioritize enforcing and implementing city and state arts learning mandates in NYC Public Schools. Here’s how:

— Develop a plan: Create a comprehensive plan to ensure schools meet the NYSED Arts Learning Requirement, including timelines, milestones, and accountability measures.
— Funding allocation: Allocate sufficient funds to support arts education, including hiring qualified arts teachers, purchasing materials, and developing curriculum.
— Teacher support: Provide professional development opportunities for teachers to enhance their arts education skills and knowledge.
— Community partnerships: Foster partnerships with local arts organizations, museums, and cultural institutions to provide resources and opportunities for students.
Monitoring and evaluation: Establish a system to monitor and evaluate schools’ progress in meeting arts learning requirements, including regular assessments and progress reports.

To ensure accountability, I would:

— Set clear expectations: Clearly communicate expectations for arts education to schools, teachers, and administrators.
— Provide resources: Ensure schools have necessary resources, including funding, materials, and personnel, to support arts education.
Regular assessments: Conduct regular assessments to evaluate student learning and progress in arts education.
— Community engagement: Engage with parents, teachers, and community members to ensure arts education is a priority and to gather feedback on progress.

By prioritizing arts education and enforcing mandates, we can provide students with a well-rounded education and prepare them for success in the 21st century.

Yes. It’s not enough to simply establish the requirement without a pathway to make this goal a reality. I will prioritize implementing a roadmap to ensure every school meets the requirement. Every student in our city deserves quality arts education, and that begins with having certified arts teachers in every single school and the DOE prioritizing achieving this outcome.

Yes.

Yes, absolutely. My education platform already addresses the broader teacher shortage through teaching fellowships, “Grow Your Own” pipelines, and mentorship-based certification programs. I will expand these initiatives specifically for arts educators recruiting from NYC’s rich pool of practicing artists and partnering with institutions to develop credentialing pathways. We will also offer salary incentives and retention bonuses to certified arts teachers in underserved schools to ensure they are not only hired but supported and celebrated. Every school in every borough deserves access to at least one full-time certified arts teacher, and under my leadership, they will have it.

Absolutely yes. All the research and outcomes make it clear: having a certified arts teacher in every school isn’t optional—it’s essential. Certified arts educators provide the consistency, depth, and support students need to explore identity, build confidence, and express emotion. If we’re serious about equity, mental health, and preparing students to thrive in life—not just school—then every child must have access to high-quality arts instruction. I fully support making that a citywide standard.

Yes. Every NYC school deserves a certified arts educator, just like they deserve certified math or science teachers. Arts are not extras—they’re essentials. My plan to reform the DOE includes an emphasis on teacher support and recruitment, including incentives for certified arts educators to teach in underserved schools. I also support pipeline partnerships with local colleges and trade schools to build the next generation of arts educators.

Yes.

Yes. I would also highlight that my administration will be deeply committed to universal afterschool and early childhood education, both of which create powerful opportunities for cultural partnerships to flourish. Through my Opportunity Agenda, we will guarantee afterschool for all by the end of my first term, and expand 3-K and Pre-K toward truly universal childcare. These expanded systems, by design, have a less rigid academic focus and more room for enrichment, creativity, and culturally grounded programming.

That means more opportunities for arts organizations, cultural institutions, and teaching artists to partner with schools and CBOs to reach children across the city. It also means sustainable, year-round work for the cultural educators who make these experiences possible. By growing these systems equitably and intentionally, we can simultaneously strengthen our educational infrastructure, uplift our arts ecosystem, and make NYC more livable for the very people who keep our communities vibrant, artists, educators, and culture-bearers who have too often been priced out or shut out of opportunity.

Expanding public education and arts access go hand in hand. Under my leadership, the growth of one will directly support the sustainability of the other.

Yes. As Mayor, I would assure we combat truancy and the mental health crisis students face by making school a more vibrant environment. Atmosphere educates as well. need to restore these programs to keep kids engaged and reduce dropout rates:

— Band, Orchestra & Choral Music in every school
— Theater, Poetry & Writing
— Painting & Sculpting
— Photography & Video Production
— Expanding Athletic & Outdoor Programs:
— Swimming & Lifeguard Training
— Environmental & Oceanography Programs
— Green Space Revitalization & Vegetable Planting​

Yes. Thank you for your consideration.

Yes. Community engagement would create grassroots pressure for schools to prioritize arts, amplifying accountability.

Yes.

Yes, I would support requiring every school to have at least one certified arts teacher. Here’s why:

— Quality arts education: Certified arts teachers provide high-quality, sequential arts education, which is crucial for students’ artistic development and academic success.
— Consistency and continuity: Having a certified arts teacher ensures consistency and continuity in arts education, allowing students to build on their skills and knowledge over time.
— Expertise and specialization: Certified arts teachers have the expertise and specialization to teach arts disciplines effectively, which is essential for students to develop their artistic talents.

To implement this requirement, I would:

— Increase funding: Allocate sufficient funds to hire and retain certified arts teachers in every school.
— Recruitment and retention: Develop strategies to recruit and retain certified arts teachers, including offering competitive salaries, professional development opportunities, and supportive working conditions.
— Community partnerships: Foster partnerships with local arts organizations and institutions to provide resources and support for certified arts teachers.

By having certified arts teachers in every school, we can ensure that students receive a high-quality arts education that prepares them for success in the arts and beyond.

Arts partnerships between schools and cultural nonprofits are essential—benefiting both students and the creative workforce. Right now, hundreds of organizations across the city provide vibrant arts programs, but many lack stable funding or suffer under our current procurement process in the City.

As Mayor, I’ll proactively strengthen these partnerships by increasing city funding specifically earmarked for cultural groups collaborating with schools, ensuring resources reach every borough equitably. I’ll also simplify the bureaucratic process for contracts, making it easier for smaller, community-based nonprofits to work directly with schools.

Additionally, my administration will invest in career-focused training and apprenticeship programs that help students move from classroom arts experiences into good-paying jobs within our creative sector that bring them back into schools to provide arts education. By making real, targeted investments, we’ll not only enhance arts education but build a stronger, more inclusive creative workforce for our city’s future.

NYC can and must play a more intentional role in supporting our non-profit arts and culture sector and bolstering the creative workforce development pipeline. First, I want to say Thank You for the inspiring efforts of the more than 700 cultural organizations that have partnered with schools across all five boroughs—this is powerful and necessary work. However, much of this effort remains invisible to the communities it serves.

As mayor, I will deploy the Quality-of-Life Index to make this work more visible and accessible. Communities deserve to know which organizations are operating in their neighborhoods, what creative opportunities exist, and how to connect. Transparency fosters trust and participation.

Second, we must be more strategic. With clarity on the mission of each cultural institution and the demographics they serve, we can develop tailored roadmaps to deepen impact—whether that’s expanding access for foster youth, designing trauma-informed arts programming, or scaling up pathways for high school artists into paid internships, fellowships, and creative careers.

By aligning city resources, workforce development, and arts education around equity and opportunity, we will build a thriving Cultural Ecosystem where talent is nurtured, not lost.

New York City’s cultural organizations are indispensable educators, employers, and innovators. To support them, I will fast-track payments to nonprofit partners and provide a Creative Futures Fund to support long-term artist employment. I will also expand on mentorship programs and integrate arts organizations into our workforce development strategy, particularly for youth in under-resourced communities. We will also develop a Cultural Corps program to place artists-in-residence across public institutions, schools, and community centers, providing reliable city-supported opportunities for creatives. Additionally, I will advocate for city-backed apprenticeships and fellowships in the arts sector so young people can see themselves not just in the audience, but on the stage and behind the scenes.

New York City’s arts education thrives because of deep partnerships between schools and more than 700 cultural organizations. As mayor, I would formalize and strengthen this ecosystem by establishing a citywide Arts Education Council—a body that brings together educators, nonprofits, and city agencies to coordinate funding, curriculum alignment, and creative workforce development.

While the DOE provides arts programming and maintains the ACES Guide, we need a more strategic, unified approach to ensure equitable access and long-term opportunities. This council would also expand internships, apprenticeships, and mentorships—helping students move from the classroom to careers in the creative economy. Arts education isn’t just enrichment—it’s a pathway to thriving futures.

Under my administration, we will establish a Citywide Arts Partnership Office to coordinate between schools, cultural organizations, and city agencies. I’ll fund creative workforce development programs through public-private partnerships, with a focus on youth employment in the arts, paid internships, and community-based apprenticeships. I’ll also expand access to city-owned spaces for rehearsals, performances, and exhibitions—particularly for groups based in working-class communities. My campaign supports free trade schools and career-focused education; we will include creative arts and media arts tracks as part of that vision.

New York City’s cultural institutions – both small and big – are vital to our economy, our communities, and our identity, as a recent Spotlight report from my office showed. From world-renowned museums to neighborhood arts spaces, they educate, inspire, and create jobs. The City must invest in these institutions to ensure they remain accessible, sustainable, and reflective of our diverse communities. City government can and should be a better partner. As mayor, I will:

— Provide every public school student in K through 8th grade with free afterschool programming that emphasizes cultural and artistic expression, establishing new employment opportunities for creative workers. I will also reinvigorate Summer Rising with expanded culture and arts programming. Read my plan for universal afterschool here.
— Get nonprofits paid on time. In 2024, 9-in-10 contracts were delivered from the Adams administration late and 40% of contracts were not paid for over a year. I will implement the solutions I put forward as Comptroller to solve this problem once and for all.
— Appoint a Deputy Mayor for Cultural Life to integrate culture and arts policy across agencies like DCLA, Parks, Landmarks, MOME and, DYCD.
— Re-engineer the Department of Cultural Affairs (DCLA) to bring it into the 21st century and position it as a leader in cross-sector policy-making in addition to funding. Reform the Cultural Development Fund (CDF) to be more transparent and democratic.

New York City’s arts ecosystem is one of our greatest strengths, and our public schools should be at the heart of it. Cultural partnerships are essential to delivering rich, relevant, and community-connected arts education. But right now, too many grassroots cultural organizations, especially those led by BIPOC and immigrant New Yorkers, struggle to access city contracting opportunities, while the creative workforce pipeline remains underdeveloped and underfunded.

As Mayor, I will ensure the city plays a far more active and equitable role in supporting these partnerships by:

— Examining the DOE procurement systems and prioritizing grassroots and community-rooted cultural organizations. That means simplifying contract applications, increasing transparency, and creating pathways for smaller nonprofits to become eligible vendors without needing extensive administrative infrastructure.
— Expanding the Summer Youth Employment Program (SYEP) by 50,000 seats, with a dedicated track for placement in cultural organizations across the five boroughs. This will not only expose young people to careers in the creative sector, it will allow them to build those careers in their own neighborhoods, alongside mentors who understand their communities and experiences.

Our city can’t thrive without the cultural institutions that nourish it, and those institutions need support, not just celebration. Under my administration, we’ll treat them as essential partners in education, workforce development, and community building.

The city can take several key steps to deepen its support for arts education and the broader cultural workforce. First, every school should have at least one dedicated arts educator who collaborates with cultural organizations to bring enriching, curriculum-aligned arts experiences into the classroom. In addition, guidance counselors should be equipped with training and resources to advise students on the wide range of career pathways available in the arts and creative industries.

To further expand access, the city should fund after-school and summer programs that introduce students to the vibrancy of the arts and provide hands-on experiences in disciplines such as visual arts, theater, music, dance, and digital media. Strengthening partnerships between schools and cultural institutions will also allow more students to engage with working artists and arts professionals in meaningful, sustained ways.

Finally, the city should invest in public campaigns and neighborhood-based showcases that highlight and celebrate youth creativity. By proudly displaying student work in community spaces—such as libraries, parks, and transit hubs—we can signal to young people that their voices matter and their creative contributions are valued. These experiences not only build confidence and skill, but also lay the foundation for a lifelong engagement with the arts and potential careers in the sector.

By offering accolades, opportunities, and visibility to young creatives, we can inspire the next generation to pursue their passions and see themselves as future leaders in New York City’s vibrant cultural ecosystem.

At its core, the creative economy drives our city, and having a robust arts curriculum taught by certified teachers should be considered an economic development tool. My administration is committed to investing heavily in our artist non-profits so that they can participate in my plan to extend the public school day by taking an active role in designing the curriculum of each individual public school to better represent and reflect the students who attend and assist in the facilitation of after-school programs. My extended school day plan relies on these partnerships to develop robust, structured after-school programs that will contribute to student success. Alongside literacy and mathematics, fostering and celebrating artistic expression in all its forms is essential to creating a well-rounded next generation.

As Mayor New York City would establish a Cultural Innovation Hub, led by DCLA and the Mayor’s Office of Media and Entertainment, to coordinate partnerships between non-profits, private philanthropy, and city agencies like the Departments of Education and Youth and Community Development.

The city would launch a $50 million NYC Arts Capital Improvement Program, modeled on the New York State Council on the Arts’ (NYSCA) Capital Projects Fund, which allocated $80 million in FY25 for non-profit arts facilities.

Finally we will create a $15 million Creative Workforce Initiative, inspired by the NYC Tech Talent Pipeline, to train and place 2,000 New Yorkers, particularly from underrepresented groups, in arts-related careers by 2030.

By ensuring that an equal amount of school funding is going toward the arts and cultural organizations.

The city can play a vital role in supporting the non-profit arts and culture sector and bolstering the creative workforce development pipeline. Here are some potential strategies:

— Funding and grants: Increase funding and grants for arts and cultural organizations, focusing on equitable distribution and accessibility.
— Capacity-building initiatives: Provide training, technical assistance, and capacity-building programs to help organizations build sustainability and growth.
— Partnership facilitation: Facilitate partnerships between schools, arts organizations, and community groups to promote arts education and cultural enrichment.
— Workforce development: Develop programs that provide training, mentorship, and job opportunities in the arts and creative industries.
— Policy support: Develop and implement policies that support the arts and cultural sector, including tax incentives, zoning regulations, and permits.

To bolster the creative workforce development pipeline, the city could:

— Internships and apprenticeships: Provide opportunities for students and young professionals to gain experience in the arts and creative industries.
— Career counseling: Offer career counseling and guidance to help individuals navigate the arts and creative industries.
— Industry partnerships: Foster partnerships between arts organizations, educational institutions, and industry partners to provide job training and placement services.

By supporting the non-profit arts and culture sector and investing in the creative workforce development pipeline, the city can promote cultural enrichment, economic growth, and community development.