New York City artists will have access to more funding as Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s administration doubles the maximum amount available through city-funded artist grants, raising it from $5,000 to $10,000.

Details on the grants and how artists can apply

Mamdani, Deputy Mayor for Economic Justice Julie Su and New York City Department of Cultural Affairs Commissioner Diya Vij announced the increase Thursday, according to a news release. It marks the first time in nearly 20 years the city has raised the grant cap for individual artists and small nonprofits.

Local arts organizations in each borough distribute the grants, which support artists, collectives and small nonprofits. Those who fall under the artistic title include filmmakers, dancers, writers and painters. Applications are currently open in Brooklyn, the Bronx, Manhattan and Queens, while Staten Island’s grant cycle will open in November.

The increase comes as the cost of living in New York City has climbed while the grant amount available to artists has remained unchanged.

“Artists are working New Yorkers with the same costs as everyone else. But while rent, grocery bills and child care costs have skyrocketed in New York City, the funding artists rely on has stayed flat,” Mamdani said in a news release statement. “Doubling these grants is a critical step towards making sure that the painters, musicians, filmmakers, and other artists who bring life to this city can afford to call it home.”

Vij said the grant increase is an initial step toward addressing the financial challenges facing artists across the city.

“I’ve spent the past six months in town halls and listening sessions with working artists across every borough, hearing just how difficult it has become for them to live and work here,” Vij said.

When are applications due?

Artists must apply through the regrant partner serving their borough. The Brooklyn Arts Council’s deadline is Oct. 11, followed by the Bronx Council on the Arts on Oct. 30. Manhattan’s Lower Manhattan Cultural Council has a Nov. 12 deadline, while the New York Foundation for the Arts’ Queens application period closes Nov. 17. Staten Island for the Arts opens applications in November, per the news release.

The city is also expanding access to free supplies through the Department of Cultural Affairs’ Materials for the Arts program. The initiative began in October, and current grantees will have a dedicated shopping day on the first Monday of each month to access donated materials at no cost.

The program collects about 4 million pounds of donated materials annually for nonprofits, public schools and city agencies with cultural programming.

The grant increase is part of the Mamdani administration’s broader effort to support the city’s arts and culture sector. The department’s fiscal year 2027 budget is also the largest in the department’s history.