A leading Downtown Brooklyn arts and media nonprofit has joined the city's Cultural Institutions Group, securing permanent funding, according to city officials.
New York City Mayor Eric Adams and New York City Department of Cultural Affairs Laurie Cumbo added BRIC, the Bronx Children’s Museum, the Louis Armstrong House Museum, the Noble Maritime Collection and Pregones / Puerto Rican Traveling Theater (PRTT) to the CIG, which now has 39 members.
CIG members operate on city-owned property and receive substantial subsidies and capital investment from the city. In return for this support, they provide cultural programming for all New Yorkers.
"From iconic museums to legendary theaters, our city’s Cultural Institutions Group gives New Yorkers and tourists alike a safe, accessible place to spend time," Adams said in a statement. "With this historic expansion, we’ll help even more cultural organizations provide affordable programming for families, good-paying jobs for New Yorkers, and safe spaces for young people to learn and stay off the streets."
Originally established in 1869 with the American Museum of Natural History, the CIG has grown sporadically over the years, notably with a concerted push by advocates and activists to expand the CIG in the 1960s and 1970s to create a more diverse cultural network. The last new CIGs added were the Weeksville Heritage Center in 2019 and the Museum of Jewish Heritage in 1997.
With the CIG designation, BRIC, which has hosted Celebrate Brooklyn! in Prospect Park since 1979, will be able to expand free and low-cost media classes, increase public access to their facilities, and ensure that the nonprofit is able to present free and accessible world-class performances and events.
“Joining the CIG is a historic milestone for BRIC," said Wes Jackson, president of BRIC. "It recognizes us among the institutions that have shaped New York City’s cultural legacy. For Brooklyn, it means greater investment in our creative future. For the city, it brings something new — a media and cultural partner grounded in community and innovation.”
The five new CIGs are all located on city property and previously received annual support through DCLA’s Cultural Development Fund grant program, in addition to an energy subsidy. As a member of the CIG, each organization will now receive an annual operating subsidy in lieu of a grant.
"The CIG is a cornerstone of our city’s cultural community, and these new members give us a once-in-a-generation opportunity to foster greater equity in this important source of city support for the arts in all five boroughs,” said Cumbo. "This is a huge step toward making our city the best place to raise a family, to make experiencing our city’s cultural treasures more accessible than ever before, and creating a legacy for all New Yorkers we can be proud of.”
