Campaign to Restore Dedicated Funding for Arts Education

Project ARTS (Arts Restoration Throughout the Schools) was developed in 1997 by the New York City Council and Mayor Rudolph Giuliani in response to the dire lack of arts education in New York City public schools. Project ARTS was designed as a safety net that helped secure a minimum level of arts education while being a catalyst for hiring certified arts teachers, purchasing supplies, securing services of arts education providers, and encouraging private contributors to match public dollars. In 2007, categorical funding provided through Project ARTS—an initiative that many attributed to being a prime catalyst in restoring arts education to public schools—was folded into each individual school’s overall budget. 

With the loss of dedicated funding, we have begun to see a reduction in arts offerings at schools across the city. Cultural institutions, key allies in delivering quality arts education, are reporting a decrease in education partnerships with schools. Principals facing budget and time constraints are reducing or eliminating classroom time dedicated to the arts, and scarce art materials and supplies are becoming even scarcer.

The emphasis on high-stakes reading and math tests has created incentives for school leaders to deemphasize the role of the arts in a well-rounded education. Arts classroom space and arts educators are in short supply while arts class time gets lost in the mix. Unless a minimum level of funding for arts education is guaranteed, we will never be able to ensure that every child in every school receives a quality arts education.