Assemblymember Quart calls on Governor to reinstate Award for Arts and Culture
The Honorable Andrew M. Cuomo
Governor of New York State
New York State Capitol
Albany, NY 12224
Dear Governor Cuomo:
New York State is a national and global capital for arts and culture. Our artists are consistently the vanguard of innovative, affecting and enduring work. Our schools draw talent from all over the world. Our museums and other institutions are icons that are often copied, but never replicated. Our world-class caliber artists should be recognized by the New York State government in a manner equivalent to the quality of their work. It's time to revive the Governor's Award for Arts and Culture.
The Governor's Award was originally established in 1966, and for 35 years honored individuals and institutions who have made extraordinary contributions to the cultural life of New York State. In line with the Kennedy Center Honors, or the New York City Mayor's Award for Arts & Culture, the Governor's Award highlighted the best in New York State Arts until 2001.
Similar recognitions have successfully recognized other sectors of the economy. The Adirondack Challenge celebrated recreation in the North Country, part of a campaign that's raised tourism revenues by 25%. The Hudson Valley Ramble brings $21 million to the area. The Governor's Cup Wine Competition brings national attention to our growing craft beverage industry, and served to support the hundreds of beverage businesses that participated last year. The New York State Fair promotes the agriculture of the entire state to the more than 1 million New Yorkers who visit each year. These events have all successfully stimulated their featured industries. Bringing back the Governor's Award for Arts and Culture could do the same for New York artists.
New York's arts sector supports hundreds of thousands of jobs across the state and has an economic impact of millions of dollars flowing through our coffers each year. We strongly support the New York State Council on the Arts' proposal to revitalize the Governor's Award for Arts and Culture and ask you to reinstate it in 2017.
Sincerely,
| Dan Quart Assemblymember 73rd AD | Addie J. Russell Assemblymember 116th AD |
| Kimberly Jean-Pierre Assemblymember 11th AD | Fred W. Thiele Assemblymember 1st AD |
| Pamela J. Hunter Assemblymember 128th AD | Deborah J. Glick Assemblymember 66th AD |
| Joseph R. Lentol Assemblymember 50th AD | Thomas J. Abinanti Assemblymember 92nd AD |
| Shelly B. Mayer Assemblymember 90th AD | JoAnne Simon Assemblymember 52nd AD |
| Anthony Brindisi Assemblymember 119th AD | Erik M. Dilan Assemblymember 54th AD |
| Patricia Fahy Assemblymember 109th AD | David Buchwald Assemblymember 93rd AD |
| Kevin A. Cahill Assemblymember 103rd AD | Richard N. Gottfried Assemblymember 75th AD |
| Donna A. Lupardo Assemblymember 123rd AD | Michelle Schimel Assemblymember 16th AD |
| Michael R. Benedetto Assemblymember 82nd AD | Didi Barrett Assemblymember 106th AD |
| Ellen C. Jaffee Assemblymember 97th AD | Anthony H. Palumbo Assemblymember 2nd AD |
| David Weprin Assemblymember 24th AD | Kenneth P. Zebrowski Assemblymember 96th AD |
| Rebecca A. Seawright Assemblymember 76th AD | Charles D. Lavine Assemblymember 13th AD |
| James Skoufis Assemblymember 99th AD | Francisco P. Moya Assemblymember 39th AD |
| David G. McDonough Assemblymember 14th AD | William Magee Assemblymember 121st AD |
| Dan Stec Assemblymember 114th AD | Daniel J. O'Donnell Assemblymember 69th AD |
| Matthew Titone Assemblymember 61st AD | Sandy Galef Assemblymember 95th AD |
| Walter T. Mosley Assemblymember 57th AD | |