When people call New York a cultural capital, they’re probably thinking of the Met, Lincoln Center, Carnegie Hall—not El Puente, a South Williamsburg–based center for Latino arts and culture, or Arts East New York, a hive of visual and performing arts in Brooklyn. That may soon change. Such less known but vital elements of the city’s cultural life will get a boost—as will arts education in public schools and individual artists—when legislation mandating the creation of a comprehensive citywide cultural plan, passed late last month by New York’s city council, comes to fruition in the years ahead.
“We needed a blueprint, a clear strategy, for supporting culture in New York City for the next generation,” says Stephen Levin, one of two City Council members who, along with Jimmy Van Bramer, sponsored the bill. “We need to reach people who may not have access to cultural resources; to keep artists, who’ve become an endangered species because of the cost of living; and to make sure community-based cultural organizations get the support they need.”
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