At a press conference on Aug. 3, Mayor Eric Adams and NYC Commissioner of Cultural Affairs Laurie Cumbo announced funding for various cultural institutions in the Bronx. But they didn’t actually say how much new money was going to each organization.
Instead, they cited larger numbers, which reflect the total city investments in the institutions over the years — not just the new funding. The numbers mentioned total $38.6 million more than the actual new capital funding the press conference was meant to announce.
The press conference, which took place at the site of the future Universal Hip Hop Museum, was largely focused on the museum in the works, which is receiving $5.5 million through the city’s 2023 fiscal year budget — $2 million of which is from the mayor, $2 million from Borough President Vanessa Gibson (an amount she cited at the press conference) and $1.5 million from the City Council, according to a press release from the mayor’s office. Although the press release set the record straight about the new museum funding, it didn’t say how much was going to the other institutions mentioned.
Cumbo, who emceed the 40-minute press conference, cited the cumulation of investments from various city sources to date, including before Adams took office this year.
She praised the mayor, saying his administration is righting the wrongs of the Bronx being underresourced, and that the borough presidents, City Council and mayor have delivered $19.8 million to the museum in the works, which is expected to be complete in fall 2025. Adams did recognize former Borough President Ruben Diaz Jr., who also attended the press conference, for planting the seeds of the project and Gibson for continuing what he started.
Cumbo, a former Democratic councilmember from Brooklyn who was appointed to her current post by Adams, also cited the larger numbers for other Bronx cultural institutions without mentioning how much new money was actually going to them.
She said the Adams administration has delivered “a record breaking amount of funding” to the Bronx Museum of the Arts, New York Botanical Garden, The POINT Community Development Corporation, Pregones Puerto Rican Traveling Theater, Wave Hill and the Bronx Zoo. But in similar fashion to the hip-hop museum, the numbers Cumbo cited were total investments the city has put into the institutions over the years — not the new grants, the Department of Cultural Affairs (DCLA) and mayor’s office confirmed with the Bronx Times.
Cumbo in the press conference said she wants to give “a snapshot of funding,” and said the Universal Hip Hop Museum “is receiving a total of city funding of $19.8 million.”
“The Bronx Museum of the Arts is receiving a total of $26.7 million,” she continued at the press conference, reading off of a paper. “Pregones Puerto Rican Traveling Theater is receiving a total of $11.2 million. Wave Hill is receiving a total of $2.9 million. The New York Botanic[al] Garden is receiving a total of city funding of $12.7 million. The Bronx will be left behind no more in this administration.”
Cumbo did not mention numerical historical investments in the Bronx Zoo or POINT.
The chart below shows how much new funding is actually going to the institutions mentioned at the press conference.
While the actual new funding numbers were provided by DCLA upon request, the Bronx Times noticed two errors after confirming with the Bronx organizations, which the city department backed up and the numbers above reflect. The POINT, however, did not respond to requests for information and the Bronx Zoo declined to provide information.
Organizations had to apply for the funding with a specific project in mind.
The Bronx Museum of the Arts — which has free admission — is using its funding toward a renovation that will create a new multi-story entrance and lobby, according to museum spokesperson Evan Lenox.
The POINT Community Development Corporation is using its grant to renovate its building and site in Hunts Point, according to DCLA.
Pregones Puerto Rican Traveling Theater is using its funding from the mayor and City Council to construct a new building on the property next to its theater on Walton Avenue, which will bring programming space and serve as a headquarters for performers, according to Managing Director Arnaldo López. With Gibson’s funding, the organization will also get new theatrical lighting and sound systems.
The Wildlife Conservation Society’s Bronx Zoo is going to renovate its monkey house, as well as its aviary in the Pheasantry, which has not been in use since 2000, according to DCLA.
The Wave Hill garden and cultural center is using its funding from the mayor and City Council for heating and air conditioning systems in the Wave Hill House and an electric skid steer with the funding from Gibson, Acting Director of Marketing and Communications Martha Gellens said.
The New York Botanical Garden will use the funding for a worker operation center, according to Aaron Bouska, the garden’s vice president for government and community relations. The center will take the place of an outdated operations yard and serve building service employees, engineers, carpenters and administrative staff, according to DCLA.
The Universal Hip Hop Museum, which is part of a planned mixed-use development called Bronx Point, will have several gallery spaces, a black box theater, interactive exhibits and administrative offices, according to DCLA.
Cumbo said that while the arts were first to go when times get hard in past administrations, Adams didn’t want to do that. She cited $220 million in capital funds from the mayor, borough presidents and City Council that will go to 70 cultural groups across the five boroughs and $237 million in expense money that will be distributed to more than 1,000 groups through a DCLA grant program, according to the release.
Reach Aliya Schneider at aschneider@schnepsmedia.com or (718) 260-4597. For more coverage, follow us on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram @bronxtimes
