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NYC Arts in Education Roundtable

Roundtable Updates

  • It Starts With the Arts 2026 Campaign Breakdown

    By law, city government officials needed to pass a balanced budget by June 30th for the upcoming fiscal year (July 1, 2026 – June 30, 2027). With support from our partners at CMW Strategies, we wanted to uplift some top-line arts education-related highlights and updates: Update on Campaign Priorities City Council Initiatives Coalition for Equitable Education Funding The Roundtable is proud to be one of the 120 organizations who are part of the Coalition for Equitable Education Funding – advocating for the resources needed to ensure every student receives a high-quality education, with a focus on those who need the…

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  • Now Accepting Applications: NYC Culture & Arts Administrator Mentorship Program

    The NYC Arts in Education Roundtable is proud to launch the inaugural cycle of CAAMP: NYC Culture & Arts Administrator Mentorship Program. This regrant and workforce development opportunity seeks to cultivate the next generation of arts and culture administrative workers by helping early career professionals establish skills and networks necessary to support career longevity and advancement. The program is supported with funds from the George S. Kaufman Charitable Foundation. This new program will connect at least 20 early career arts and culture administrative workers with a mentor for 7 months and is dedicated to providing them with funds, professional development resources, and connections to…

  • Become a Face to Face 2027 Sponsor

    What is Face to Face? Virtual Dates: Tuesdays, March 30 – April 20, 2027In-Person Dates: April 28 – 29, 2027Location: Shepard Hall, City College of New York (160 Convent Ave, New York, NY 10031) The Face to Face Arts in Education Conference is the largest, most comprehensive arts education convening in New York State. In 2027, our annual flagship conference will start with a month of virtual professional learning workshops and conclude with a two-day conference expected to serve more than 600 arts educators and administrators. Conference Sponsors will have a direct impact on our ability to bring together arts…

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  • Request for Proposals: Face to Face 2027

    The New York City Arts in Education Roundtable is accepting proposals for workshops and panels for Face to Face 2027 as of July 8. The 2027 conference will be a hybrid experience with both virtual and in-person offerings. The in-person conference will take place April 28 & 29, 2027 at Shepard Hall, City College of New York, 160 Convent Ave, New York, NY 10031. The virtual conference sessions will be scheduled once weekly during the four weeks leading up to the in-person conference (see exact dates in table below). The virtual conference will be hosted on Zoom. Key Dates Session…

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  • NYC Arts in Education Roundtable Commends Mayor, City Council For Investing in Arts Education in FY2027 Budget

    Final budget makes crucial commitment to arts education by investing in cultural institutions and arts programs  NEW YORK, NY — Today, the New York City Council passed the FY 2027 budget, which adds $30 million to support cultural institutions and arts programs and improve transparency in arts education. The budget also includes $4.05M for the Support for Arts Instruction and a new Cultural Stability Fund for arts organizations facing emergency or unexpected costs. In response, Kimberly Olsen, Executive Director of the New York City Arts in Education Roundtable, issued the following statement: “Dance, music, theater, media, and the visual arts…

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  • Teachers, Council Members, and Advocates Push for Living Wage for Teaching Artists in Budget

    Teaching artists who provide arts education for thousands of NYC public school students are suffering from slow contracting, poor wages, and inconsistent city support NEW YORK, NY —Today, teachers, advocates and artists rallied outside City Hall to urge the NYC Council and Mamdani Administration to better support the thousands of teaching artists who provide arts education to public school students across the city. The executive budget included $10 million for cultural institutions and arts programs. The group is pushing for an additional $20M in the adopted budget and for provisions to improve transparency in arts education. Watch a recording of…

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  • Testimony: Executive Budget Public Hearing – June 10, 2026

    New York City Arts in Education RoundtableLive Testimony: Executive Budget Public Hearing Hon. Chair Linda LeeWednesday, June 10, 2026 Thank you to Chair Lee, CM Wong, and City Council staff for hosting today’s hearing and for your endurance! My name is Kimberly Olsen, and I am proud to be the Executive Director of the NYC Arts in Education Roundtable.  I’m testifying as part of the It Starts with the Arts coalition — calling on our city to restore/baseline $30M funding to DCLA and invest in arts education via the Support for Arts Instruction Initiative. The future of NYC starts with the…

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  • Roundtable Announces 2026 Cohort for the New York State Teaching Artist Mentorship Program

    FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE New York, NY – The NYC Arts in Education Roundtable is proud to announce our 2026 cohort of the New York State Teaching Artist Mentorship Program. This program pairs 22 mid-career Teaching Artists from across the state with mentors to help them develop the networks, skills, and increased capacities necessary to support career advancement. In addition to mentorship, participants will also attend professional development programs focused on the business of teaching artistry and complete field hours exploring multiple arts education settings. The NYS Teaching Artist Mentorship Program is made possible by the New York State Council on the…

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  • Sign-On Letter for Fair Compensation and Contracting Processes

    Join our letter to Council Member Dinowitz & Council Member Restler for fair compensation and contracting processes. The Roundtable is committed to advocating for fair compensation and employment practices for the arts education workforce. Part of this advocacy includes calling for reforms within the city’s MTAC contracting process with NYC Public Schools to demand transparency, timely payments and contract awards, as well as investment in teaching artist compensation and stability. Join us in this advocacy by signing on to our letter to Council Member Eric Dinowitz (Chair of Education Committee) and Council Member Lincoln Restler (Chair of Contracts Committee) calling on our city…

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  • NYC Arts in Education Roundtable Applauds Mamdani Admin for Arts and Education Support

    NEW YORK, NY (05/14/2026) — This week, the Mamdani Administration released the Executive Budget for Fiscal Year 2027, which includes a $10 million baseline investment in the Department of Cultural Affairs (DCLA) and an additional $122 million to hire 1,000 new teachers. In response, Kimberly Olsen, Executive Director of the NYC Arts in Education Roundtable issued the following statement: “The arts are essential for New Yorkers across the five boroughs. Dance, music, theater, creative writing, film, and the visual arts help students to grow both in and out of the classroom, develop awareness, broaden their perspectives, and pursue their passions. But without…

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  • Announcing the 2026 “It Starts With the Arts” Student Artists & Poets

    As we continue this year’s “It Starts With the Arts” Campaign, the NYC Arts in Education Roundtable is thrilled to announce the selected artists from our citywide visual art and poetry competition to recognize and celebrate the talent of New York City students. All entries were inspired by the question, “Why do the arts matter?” We received art and poetry from students across the five boroughs. Winning artists were selected by members of the NYC Arts in Education Roundtable’s Advocacy Committee made up of educators, teaching artists, and cultural workers. Winners for this competition have had their artwork printed on “It Starts…

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  • NYC Arts in Education Roundtable Applauds New York City Council for Support of Arts Education

    NEW YORK, NY — Yesterday, the New York City Council released its preliminary budget response, which included a call for $30 million for cultural institutions and provisions to improve transparency in arts education. In response, Kimberly Olsen, Executive Director of the NYC Arts in Education Roundtable issued the following statement: “The arts are essential for New Yorkers across the five boroughs. Dance, music, theater, creative writing, and the visual arts help students to grow both in and out of the classroom, develop awareness, broaden their perspectives, and pursue their passions. But without sufficient support for the institutions and the invaluable workforce that…

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  • NYC Council Announces Increased Arts Funding in New York City Public Schools

    “Support for Arts Instruction Initiative” will provide $4.05MM to schools to fund arts instruction, up slightly from last year NEW YORK, NY (03/30/2026) (readMedia)– Today, the NYC Arts in Education Roundtable joined with Education Chair Council Member Dinowitz, Bronx Arts Ensemble, Dancing Classrooms, NYC Public Schools, and students celebrated the success of the Support for Arts Instruction citywide initiative: a $4.05 million dollar investment to provide every public school student with a rich, diverse arts education throughout New York City. This is the fourth year of initiative – and the first year at $4.05 Million. A recording of the event…

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  • Arts Educators, Electeds Push for a Living Wage for Arts Teachers in Budget

    Advocates Call on City Lawmakers to Address Cost of Living Crisis Facing Teaching Artists and Protect Arts Education in Schools Today, teaching artists, educators, and advocates rallied on the steps of City Hall to call on the Mayor and City Council to address the affordability crisis facing New York City’s arts education workforce and protect access to arts education in public schools. Despite playing a critical role in arts instruction across the city, many teaching artists struggle with low pay, delayed payment from city contracts, and limited access to benefits, making it increasingly difficult to afford to live and work…

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  • Testimony: Preliminary Budget Hearing, Committee on Cultural Affairs, Libraries, & International Intergroup Relations – March 18, 2026

    Testimony: Preliminary Budget Hearing – Committee on Cultural Affairs, Libraries, & International Intergroup RelationsHon. Deputy Speaker Dr. Nantasha WilliamsWednesday, March 18, 2026 Thank you to Deputy Speaker Williams and the City Council for hosting today’s hearing and happy Arts in our Schools Month! My name is Kimberly Olsen, and I am proud to be the Executive Director of the NYC Arts in Education Roundtable. I’m testifying as part of the It Starts with the Arts coalition — calling on our city to prioritize funding and policy change that improves arts education in NYC and supports its robust workforce. The arts…

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  • Arts Budget Hearing Testimony – February 26, 2026

    New York City Arts in Education Roundtable 520 8th Avenue Suite 330 New York, NY 10018 Re: Support for Arts Education in New York State FY 2027 Budget Dear NY State Legislators, There is a critical need for support for arts education in NY State in the FY 2027 budget. Arts education and exposure to New York’s cultural riches are an essential component of every child’s education. New York must prioritize universal access to high-quality, culturally-responsive, and sequential arts education for ALL students with dedicated, adequate, and equitable funding. We call on New York State to fund NYSCA at $210M,…

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  • Op-Ed in NY Daily News: NYC should expand support for teaching artists

    On February 10, 2026, NYC Arts in Education Roundtable Executive Director had the following op-ed published in the NY Daily News. Take a look at the op-ed below! Interested in other coverage from the Roundtable’s advocacy work? You can check out the latest “It Starts With the Arts” news over at our advocacy hub.

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  • Written Testimony: Oversight -Affordability in New York City’s Arts and Cultural Sector – February 9, 2026

    Written Testimony: Oversight – Affordability in New York City’s Arts and Cultural Sector Hon. Deputy Speaker Dr. Nantasha WilliamsMonday, February 9, 2026 Thank you to Deputy Speaker Williams and the City Council for holding today’s hearing. My name is Kimberly Olsen, and I am proud to be the Executive Director of the NYC Arts in Education Roundtable. We are a nonprofit service organization working to improve and advance arts education across NYC. Congratulations on becoming Chair of Cultural Affairs — we’re so excited to work with you in this new role! In NYC, arts education in school and community settings…

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  • Seeking Student Artists: “It Starts With the Arts” Art & Poetry Competition

    The NYC Arts in Education Roundtable is back with our “It Starts With the Arts” Campaign. This year, we are hosting our fourth annual citywide art competition to recognize and celebrate the talent of New York City students. For the first time, this competition will accept both visual art and poetry submissions. We are seeking student work to be featured on “It Starts With the Arts” campaign materials that will be circulated to government officials and the general public in support of improved policy and access to arts education. The Roundtable will select three visual art winners and three poetry winners who,…

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  • Now Accepting Applications: 2026 New York State Teaching Artist Mentorship Program

    The NYC Arts in Education Roundtable is proud to launch the fifth cohort of the New York State Teaching Artist Mentorship Program. This regrant opportunity seeks to proactively help mid-career Teaching Artists from across the state develop the networks, skills, and increased capacities necessary to support career advancement and sustainability. The program connects at least 22 mid-career Teaching Artists with a mentor educator or arts leader for 7 months. This program is dedicated to providing funds, mentorship and connections to artist educators across New York State working in and with communities that have been systemically marginalized in the arts education field. Each participating Teaching…

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  • Help Us Plan for the Next Five Years: Complete Our Arts Education Sector Survey

    Survey Deadline: January 7, 2026 The NYC Arts in Education Roundtable is currently writing a strategic plan for the coming five years! We are proud to build on our work to support our constituents through the pandemic, increase our city and state advocacy, and maintain our commitment to equity and inclusion.  To plan for the future, we need to hear from YOU. Please take 10-15 minutes to complete this anonymous survey administered by our Strategic Planning partners at Webb Mgmt. Responses will inform the Roundtable’s goals and priorities for 2026-2030. We hope to capture as many perspectives as possible, both within and beyond…