June 10, 2025  
    Watch video here at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Di6aHO9-y3Y  
    Adams Administrations Founded By NYC Campaign    Commemorating Citys 400 th    Anniversary Through Concerts, Celebrations, and Free Events    During 2025  
    Announcement Follows Mayor Adams Unveiling of Best Budget    Ever, Which Invests in    Affordability, Public Safety, and Quality-of-Life Issues    New Yorkers Care Most About  
    Mayor Adams Best Budget Ever Also Invests Nearly $215    Million in DCLA,    Including Additional $45 Million in Permanent, Baseline    Funding  
    NEW YORK  New York City Mayor Eric Adams, New    York City Department of Cultural Affairs (DCLA) Commissioner    Laurie Cumbo, and NYC Tourism + Conventions President and CEO    Julie Coker today announced several upcoming events that will    take place as part of the Adams administrations Founded By NYC campaign,    commemorating the 400th anniversary of New York City. Originally unveiled at the end    of 2024, Founded By NYC celebrates New York Citys past,    present, and future through activations across the five    boroughs  including New York City-themed movies as part of the    New York City Department of Parks &    Recreation (NYC Parks) free summer movies series;the    largest-everNew York City Department of    Transportation Summer Streetswith 400 blocks of free    events citywide; and more. Mayor Adams also encouraged New    Yorkers to visit the 47th annual Museum Mile    Festival, which will take place tonight from 6:00 PM to    9:00 PM along Fifth Avenue; offer New Yorkers free admission to    eight of the citys most prominent museums; and feature live    programs, musical performances, exhibitions, and more.  
    Mayor Adams today also celebrated historic investments in the    citys cultural sector made by the Adams administrations    Fiscal Year (FY) 2026 Executive    Budget  also known as the Best Budget Ever. Mayor Adams    Best Budget Ever  released earlier this year  invests nearly    $215 million in DCLA, helping enrich cultural institutions,    attract tourists, and support good-paying jobs. Additionally,    DCLA will receive a permanent  or baseline  funding increase    of $45 million, the agencys first substantial baseline funding    increase in a decade. That additional funding will bolster the    citys Cultural Development Fund, which    supports more than 1,000 cultural organizations and    neighborhood-based groups citywide, as well as the citys 34    Cultural Institution    Group(CIG) member organizations. Moreover, as part of    its 10-year capital plan, the Best Budget Ever also includes    $3.1 billion for cultural institutions and libraries.  
    Theres nothing like summer in the city, especially when we    are celebrating 400 years of the greatest city in the world.    From free movies and concerts to global festivals, our    administration is excited to bring families together and    celebrate New York Citys history and dynamism through our    Founded By NYC campaign. But were not stopping there, said    Mayor Adams. With the historic investments in    our citys cultural organizations as part of our Best Budget    Ever, well bolster the world-class cultural organizations    that bring our families together and give our museums,    performing arts centers, gardens, and more the resources they    need to thrive.  
    Culture is the heartbeat of our city  driving our economy,    strengthening our communities, and making New York the most    vibrant, dynamic place on the globe, said DCLA    Commissioner Cumbo. Were so proud of the historic    investment made by Mayor Adams in the Best Budget Ever, which    will support public programming at over 1,000 cultural    nonprofits across the city. And the incredible programming this    funding supportswill be on full display in the months    ahead: from the Museum Mile Festival to Founded by NYC, from    Lincoln Centers Summer for the City to BRIC Celebrate    Brooklyn, and so much more, New Yorkers will have opportunities    all summer long to engage with the amazing cultural programming    that brings life and energy to every corner of New York.  
    Founded by NYC shines a spotlight on the creative energy    that lives in every corner of our city, said NYC    Tourism + Conventions President and CEO Coker. From    iconic institutions along Museum Mile to local cultural gems    across the five boroughs, this campaign celebrates the artists,    performers, and storytellers who make New York City unlike    anywhere else in the world. We invite New Yorkers and visitors    alike to experience the vibrancy of our communities and    discover what makes New York City the global capital of    culture.  
    The Adams administrations Founded By NYC campaign brings    together organizations across the city, including    theLenape Center,The Broadway League, theMuseum    of the City of New York,Times Square Alliance,    multipleBusiness Improvement Districts, all city    agencies, and more. All year, New York Citys 400th anniversary    is being incorporated into major city events in the worlds of    art, film, music, and more, including Gracie Mansions art    installations,New York free summer    moviesfeaturing notable films set in the five    boroughs, the Museum Mile Festival,    performances by Broadway stars, and the    largest-everSummer Streets. New York Citys    400th anniversary themes will be featured at additional events,    parades, festivals, institutions, and celebrations across the    city with announcements to come throughout the year.The    campaign is supported by Hamilton, the Tony Award-winning    Broadway musical, including the song, The Schuyler Sisters,    which provides the soundtrack for theFounded By NYC teaser video.  
    The Founded By NYC campaign highlights the achievements driven    by the creativity and resilience of the five boroughs and its    people, including the perspectives of marginalized audiences    like those of the Indigenous community, women, and people of    color. Throughout planning for New York Citys 400th    anniversary, the Mayors Office haspartnered with the Lenape    Centerto uplift the voices of the Lenape community.    Last year, Mayor Adams proclaimedNovember 20Lenape    Heritage Day in a ceremony at Gracie Mansion. This    announcement came one year after Mayor Adams hosted    thefirst-ever mayoral reception    celebrating Native American and Indigenous heritage at Gracie    Mansion, to ensure the past contributions and painful    experiences of the Lenape people and other Indigenous    communities are not lost to history.  
    A series of year-long events, programs and partnerships    participating in the Founded By NYC campaign are listed below.    New Yorkers can learn more about individual events by visiting    the Founded by NYC website.  
    1. Fanatics Fest NYC  
    2. NYC Pride  
    3. NBC and Telemundo Programming  
    4. Summer Streets  
    5. Atlas Obscura Podcast  
    6. Bowery Boys Podcast  
    7. Planet Brooklyn  
    8. Movies Under the Stars  
    9. Staten Island FerryHawks  
    10. Founded on Broadway  
    11. Global Citizen Festival  
    12. New York Comic Con  
    13. Food Network NYC Wine & Food Festival  
    14. New York Road Runners Marathon  
    15. New York Comedy Festival  
    Mayor Adams today also touted investments made by his Best    Budget Ever in DCLA and the citys cultural organizations.    Mayor Adams Best Budget Ever increased DCLAs baseline funding    by an additional $45 million, the first substantial increase in    over a decade. That funding includes an additional $23.5    million for the citys Cultural Development Fund, which    supports programming at over 1,000 cultural nonprofits across    the city each year, helps create jobs, and strengthens the    citys flourishing cultural sector. The $45 million baseline    increase also includes an additional $21.5 million in baseline    funding for the citys CIG network  34 private, non-profit    cultural organizations on city-owned property, including    museums, performing arts centers, historical societies, zoos,    botanical gardens, and more. Along with a total expense    investment of nearly $215 million in DCLA for FY 2026, Mayor    Adams Best Budget Ever also includes $3.1 billion for cultural    institutions and libraries through the 10-Year Capital Plan.    Each year, DCLA supports more than 1,000 cultural nonprofits in    all corners of the city. From small, volunteer-run community    arts groups to some of the most visited and iconic cultural    institutions in the city, these groups represent the full    breadth of the citys rich cultural life. With the $45 million    in baseline funding, DCLA can provide stable, long-term support    for this critical sector in New York City, especially as it    faces a range of new challenges.  
    The Adams administration has prioritized supporting cultural    institutions across the five boroughs by, among other things,    breaking groundon renovations, expansions, and other    city-supported capital projects at theBrooklyn Childrens    Museum,Weeksville Heritage    Center,The Bronx    Museum,Nuyorican Poets Caf, and    more in 2024. Additionally, last year, the Adams administration    announced more than $52 million in grants for 1,031 cultural    organizations through its annualCultural Development    Fundgrant making program and diverted over 5.9 million    pounds of materials from landfills, making them available to    educators, nonprofits,and artists through    itsMaterials for the    Arts program free of charge.Finally, to bolster the    citys cultural economy and support more cultural    organizations, Mayor Adamsannounced in his 2025 State of    the City address, that New York City will invest more resources    into the CIG network, adding up to five additional    organizations in order to ensure that the CIG network reflects    the rich diversity of the citys creative sector.  
    As New York City commemorates its 400th anniversary, were    proud to stand alongside Mayor Adams and the Department of    Cultural Affairs in celebrating the citys unparalleled    cultural vitality, said Stephanie Hill Wilchfort,    Ronay Menschel director and president, The Museum of the City    of New York. The historic investments made through    this years Executive Budget affirm the citys deep commitment    to the arts and to institutions like ours that preserve and    tell New Yorks story. We are honored to be part of the    'Founded By NYC' campaign and the Museum Mile Festival     celebrations that reflect the creativity and resilience of all    New Yorkers.  
    We are thrilled to see a historic $45 million baseline    increase for arts and culture in the Fiscal 2026 Executive    Budget. We thank Mayor Adams, First Deputy Mayor Randy Mastro,    Deputy Mayor Adolfo Carrin, and Commissioner Cumbo, as well as    Speaker Adams and the City Council, for their steadfast support    of the arts, said Coco Killingsworth, chair, Cultural    Institutions Group.Arts and    culture are the heart and soul of New York City. It is evident    today that the city stands firmly with culture  this funding    will bolster the resilience of not just our cultural community,    but all of New York. We look forward to working with the    administration and City Council to secure an additional $30    million increase in the Adopted Budget to ensure the continued    growth and vitality of our sector!  
    We are thrilled to celebrate the 400th anniversary of the City    of New York. The American Museum of Natural History and the    city have had a special relationship since our institution was    founded more than 150 years ago, said Sean M. Decatur,    president, American Museum of Natural History. The    City of New York provides critical funding to help the Museum    fulfill our mission of providing New Yorkers, and visitors from    across the country and the world, access to cutting-edge    scientific research, exhibitions, and educational programming.    New York Citys cultural sector is among the most vibrant in    the world, making the city a global attraction for millions,    and this additional investment is particularly important during    these challenging times in the tourism sector.  
    The TCS New York City Marathon, held on the first Sunday in    November, is the best day of the year in the best city in the    world, bringing together thousands of athletes, two million    spectators, and hundreds of millions of at-home viewers from    across the five boroughs and around the globe, all united by    the transformative power of running," saidRob    Simmelkjaer, CEO, New York Road Runners. As the    nonprofit that runs New York City, New York Road Runners is    honored to join other quintessential New York City institutions    and iconic cultural organizations to celebrate the city's    diversity, spirit, and the people and communities that make it    possible.  
    We are immensely grateful for these historic investments in    our citys vibrant cultural institutions, said    Jennifer Bernstein, CEO and The William C. Steere, Sr.    president, New York Botanical Garden (NYBG). These    vital funds ensure that cultural beacons like NYBG continue to    flourish, offering enriching experiences for all New Yorkers    and visitors to New York. As we celebrate New York Citys 400th    anniversary, we invite everyone to experience the beauty and    inspiration of our current exhibition Van Goghs Flowers, a    perfect example of how art and nature can uplift and connect    us.  
    The Brooklyn Museum is giving a standing ovation to the city    for its investment in baseline support for cultural    organizations.Baseline support has not increased in    years, though culturals have been hit hard by the impacts of    inflation and rising expenses, said Anne Pasternak,    Shelby White and Leon Levy director, Brooklyn    Museum.In order for us to continue the    important services we provide our city  from good jobs to    education, from attracting tourism and taxes to supporting    economic opportunity for our neighbors, from supporting artists    to keeping New York City the global cultural destination it has    been  this support and more is needed.  
    We are deeply grateful to the Mayors Office and City Council    for this historic investment in New York Citys cultural    community. The $45 million in baseline funding will provide    vital stability to institutions like New York City Center,    enabling us to serve artists and audiences more equitably and    expansively, said Michael S. Rosenberg, president and    CEO, New York City Center. Culture is not a luxury     it is the foundation of a vibrant, inclusive, and resilient New    York. This support affirms the essential role the arts play in    the life of our city.  
    Our citys cultural institutions provide invaluable    connection, community, and joy for all New Yorkers, said    Leah C. Johnson, executive vice president, Lincoln    Center for the Performing Arts. We are tremendously    grateful for the citys support of our sector, which helps us    serve millions of artists, students, and audience members from    across the five boroughs.  
    All of SE Queens, including board and staff of Jamaica Center    for Arts and Learning, salutes and celebrates this first step    toward meaningful fiscal equity for outer-borough CIGs through    the first baseline increase in many years, said    Leonard Jacobs, executive director, Jamaica Center for    Arts and Learning.  
    The citys vital investment in cultural institutions serves as    a cornerstone for our city's vibrant landscape, economy, and    the very fabric of our community, said Jack Kliger,    president and CEO, Museum of Jewish Heritage - A Living    Memorial to the Holocaust. The museum deeply values    the City Council and the mayors ongoing support, which not    only enables us to pursue our mission but also aligns with the    collective effort of all of our cultural institutions  our    libraries, zoos, and other members of the Cultural Institutions    Group  to educate and enrich the lives of all New Yorkers.  
    We are deeply grateful to Mayor Adams and DCLA Commissioner    Cumbo for their leadership and commitment to New York Citys    cultural community. The permanent $45 million funding increase    in DCLA's budget is historical and a welcome step forward,    said Patrick Willingham, executive director, The Public    Theater. At The Public Theater, we know how vital    this support is to the sustainability of arts institutions    across the five boroughs. At the same time, we recognize that    much more is needed to equitably and adequately fund the full    spectrum of New Yorks cultural organizations  especially    those serving historically underserved communities. We look    forward to continued partnership to ensure the citys cultural    landscape remains vibrant, inclusive, and accessible to all.  
    Snug Harbor Cultural Center & Botanical Garden is grateful to    Mayor Eric Adams for this visionary FY 26 budget. Increasing    the baseline for culture means that Snug Harbor and our peers    across the Cultural Institutions Group can plan for a more    stable future, while Cultural Development Fund groups enjoy    increased access to funding, said Jessica Baker    Vodoor, president and CEO, Snug Harbor Cultural Center &    Botanical Garden.Our work is not done  we are    still asking for an additional $30 million for the Culture    budget to make our field whole. We are grateful to the    administration and City Council for leadership in a time of    federal cuts to key programs and appreciate their support for    the citys institutional pillars: culture, libraries, and    parks.  
    We are deeply grateful to Mayor Adams, the City of New York,    and the Department of Cultural Affairs for their unwavering    support of our mission and that of the other cultural    organizations in New York City, said Dina Rosenthal,    executive director, Staten Island Childrens Museum.    This vital public funding helps ensure that children and    families across our city have access to joyful, enriching    learning experiences. It underwrites much of our work and makes    it possible for us to serve as a welcoming, imaginative space    for all communities. We are proud to be part of the citys    cultural fabric and inspired to contribute to its future.  
    The arts are as basic as housing, medical care, and the need    for living wage employment, said Michael Royce, CEO,    New York Foundation for the Arts.This historic    increase for culturaldollars by Mayor Adams is a    testimony of his support for the arts in the greatest city in    the world, so that people can feel understood, uplifted,    witnessed and connected to each other.  
    I'm incredibly thankful for New York City's significant $45    million increase in the city budget for culture, said    Moe Yousuf, president and CEO, Lower Manhattan Cultural    Council.This crucial funding ensures that    artists throughout Manhattan will continue to have essential    opportunities to present and share their work directly with    their neighbors and local audiences. Art is about fostering    robust and vibrant places emotionally, educationally, and    financially. It fuels our local economies, drives tourism, and    offers unique experiences that attract visitors and residents    alike. We extend our deepest gratitude to DCLA Commissioner    Laurie Cumbo and Mayor Eric Adams for their leadership and    unwavering dedication to the arts.  
    We are thrilled to bring the Food Network New    York City Wine & Food Festival to the historic Seaport area    this year, said Lee Brian Schrager, founder, Food    Network New York City Wine & Food Festival.This    iconic location, with its rich maritime history and vibrant    atmosphere, provides the perfect backdrop for celebrating the    culinary arts and to celebrate NYC's milestone birthday with    our partner, NYC Tourism. We look forward to an unforgettable    festival filled with delicious food, exceptional wines, and the    joy of bringing the NYC community together.  
    The spirit and resilience of our city's queer community    sparked the modern Pride movement, and we're excited to team up    with NYC Tourism's Founded By NYC campaign to uplift this    history and honor this legacy, said Matthew    enz-Cheng, associate director of corporate partnerships, NYC    Pride.   
    ###  
See more here:
Mayor Adams Announces Upcoming Cultural Events as Part of