The Hunter College Office of the Arts brings together artists, arts workers, institution leaders, and government officials, to create a more equitable and vibrant NYC arts landscape.
We are currently focused on three initiatives:
TICKETS
Tax-supported, not-for-profit institutions should be open to the public at prices that working people can afford.
SPACES
Artists should have access to affordable, geographically diverse spaces to create and share their work.
JOBS
Working-class public school students need a pathway to sustainable careers as artists and arts workers.
Join us in building a better NYC arts ecosystem.
Introducing Charter 26
The Hunter College Office of the Arts has hosted two events to listen to hundreds of artists and arts workers about the state of the arts in NYC. The issues raised echo numerous academic reports within the past decade: Artists are struggling. They need space to make and share their work. And the system needs a dramatic re-thinking.
To continue these conversations—and broaden their reach, to more institutional leaders and funders—we invite you to sign Charter 26: A Petition from New York Artists and Arts Workers, calling on artists, institutions, and funders to come together and act.
Assembly of New York Artists
On January 26, more than 200 people trudged through the aftermath of a blizzard to gather at Danspace Project at St. Mark’s Church in-the-Bowery for We the People: An Assembly of New York Artists, hosted by the Hunter College Office of the Arts.
The attendees introduced themselves, and then took 60 seconds to propose, from their own experience, how the arts in New York might better flourish.
Forum on Working Class Artists in America
On May 1, 2025, this forum gathered artists, arts leaders, elected officials, students, professors, and more at Hunter College, to discuss issues related to working class artists and to propose solutions toward a more economically inclusive culture that reflects the full breadth of the American experience in the twenty-first century.
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“The continuous maintenance and growth of the arts is a continuing concern, so that the blessings and benefits of these cultural resources may be made available to enhance and enrich the lives of all of the people of this City.”
From the Executive Order establishing the Commission for CulturalAffairs of The City of New York
“Art is the great democrat, calling forth genius from every sector of society, disregarding race or religion or wealth or color.”
John F. Kennedy, 1962
“Lincoln used to say that democracy was a system that allowed you to arrive at your level of talent and discipline. A lot of people don’t feel that anymore. This is where class comes in…you wonder how much talent is out there and the system doesn’t let them rise.”
Historian Doris Kearns Goodwin