Academy of American Poets is one of 1,000+ cultural organizations across NYC to receiving support as part of the City's $52.2 million Cultural Development Fund
New York, NY (March 7, 2024)—The Academy of American Poets announced today that it has received an award of $77,460 from the City of New York. This comes as part of the NYC Department of Cultural Affairs (DCLA)’s recent announcement of $52.2 million in Cultural Development Fund (CDF) grants to 1,031 cultural organizations across the city’s five boroughs. For the Academy, this CDF grant will support the free programs and publications the organization produces for thousands of poets, readers, teachers, and students across New York City.
“We’re grateful for Commissioner Cumbo’s tireless advocacy and support of New York City’s cultural ecosystem,” said Ricardo Maldonado, President & Executive Director of the Academy of American Poets. “As an active member of literary communities in this great city, we are excited to keep championing ongoing dialogue between poets and readers, in classrooms and libraries, at live readings and through publication, centering how poetry can help us understand our responsibilities to each other more deeply.”
“New York City is the cultural capital of the world, and the Adams administration’s contribution of more than $50 million demonstrates our commitment to making this critical sector thrive,” said Deputy Mayor for Economic Development, Housing, and Workforce Development Maria Torres-Springer. “We are thrilled to support more than 1,000 creative nonprofits across all five boroughs and I want to thank DCLA for all their hard work to bring the arts to all New Yorkers.”
“Culture is the heart of New York City, and what keeps it beating are the hundreds of city-supported cultural organizations whose programming inspires and engages audiences in all five boroughs," said Cultural Affairs Commissioner Laurie Cumbo. “Despite the challenging fiscal environment, we fought hard to sustain our part of this vital public-private partnership. This major investment in our cultural community shows that we are committed to supporting this indispensable part of what makes our city thrive. Alongside funding for capital projects, free supplies through Materials for the Arts, and the many other ways DCLA supports our arts and culture sector, these CDF awards will foster a healthier, more vibrant city where all New Yorkers have opportunities to connect with cultural programming.”
About the Academy of American Poets
Celebrating its ninetieth anniversary in 2024, the Academy of American Poets is a leading publisher of contemporary poetry across the country. The organization annually awards $1.3+ million to more than two hundred poets at various stages of their careers through its prize program. It also produces Poets.org, the world’s largest publicly funded website for poets and poetry; established and organizes National Poetry Month each April; publishes the Poem-a-Day series and American Poets magazine; provides free resources to educators; hosts an annual series of poetry readings and special events; and coordinates a national Poetry Coalition that promotes the value poets bring to our culture. To learn more about the Academy of American Poets, including its staff, its Board of Directors, and its Board of Chancellors, visit https://poets.org/.