Society of Illustrators Receives Largest NYC Department of Cultural Affairs
Cultural Development Fund Grant Award in Their 124-Year Nonprofit History

New York City, NY (February 26, 2025) – The Society of Illustrators (SI) is pleased to announce that they have received a FY 2025 NYC Department of Cultural Affairs (DCLA) Cultural Development Fund (CDF) Grant Award totaling $70,905. This new grant is the largest amount of DCLA funding that the Society has ever received in its 124-year nonprofit history. It will help support SI’s free year-round Art Education Grades K-12 Programs for NYC underserved youth from economically challenged neighborhoods.

This announcement follows NYC Mayor Eric Adams and DCLA Commissioner Laurie Cumbo’s approval of $59.3 million in CDF grants to 1,078 cultural organizations across the five boroughs. The funding, which is awarded annually by DCLA using a competitive, peer-evaluated grant process, includes $51.9 million from the Mayor’s Office and $7.4 million from members of the New York City Council.

As Mayor Adams recently stated, “To make New York City the best place to raise a family, we need good-paying jobs and vibrant cultural organizations; these grants will help us support both by bolstering our museums, music venues, and much more. With this record grant money announcement for our cultural organizations, we are strengthening our city’s position as the cultural capital of the globe.”

Furthermore, DCLA Commissioner Cumbo underscored the importance of making such a large cultural arts investment by noting, “Simply put, there is no New York City without the cultural sector that strengthens our communities, drives our economy, and makes us the creative capital of the world. And the work that goes into making our cultural sector thrive starts with the 1,000+ nonprofits that we are proud to support through the Cultural Development Fund.”

Responding to the Mayor and Commissioner’s award announcement, SI Executive Director Arabelle Liepold said, “The Society of Illustrators is very grateful for receiving this unexpectedly large FY 2025 CDF Grant that will enable us to serve 2,400 Grades K-12 students with free afterschool art workshops led by prominent illustrators from various genres. This critical funding underwrites the costs of student art supplies and teaching artists’ fees, among other expenses incurred to conduct our high-quality art programs.”

SI’s free K-12 Programs offered annually include their longstanding Winter, Spring, and Summer Drawing Academies for underserved Grades 5-8 students in collaboration with NYC Parks, Fall/Spring High School Career Exploration & Portfolio Building Workshops for Grades 9-12 students, and Saturday Stories Monthly Workshops for Grades K-4 students and their families. For more details regarding the Society’s art education programs for children and teens ages 4 to 18, visit: https://societyillustrators.org/community/.

About the Society of Illustrators

Founded in 1901, the Society of Illustrators (SI), is the oldest nonprofit dedicated to the art of illustration in America. Our mission is to promote the art and appreciation of illustration, its history, and its evolving nature through exhibits and education programs. Notable SI members have been N.C. Wyeth and Norman Rockwell, among others. Our Museum of Illustration, along with its Permanent Collection of 3,500 pieces, is open to the public Wednesdays-Saturdays year-round. Through our exhibitions and programs, we serve nearly 45,000 people yearly. To learn more, visit: www.societyillustrators.org.

For SI media inquiries, kindly contact:
Lindsay Compton, Director of Programs and Partnerships | lindsay@societyillustrators.org