New York State Council on the Arts Grant Application Files

Alphabetical by name of grant applicant (within each accretion).

14064-98A: Arranged by program group or type of arts project.

14064-99, 14064-02, 14064-06: Chronological by year, then alphabetical by name of applicant.

14064-01, 14064-04, 14064-12, 14064-17: Alphabetical by name of grant applicant.

The series of grant application files documents the function of the Council of the Arts to promote and assist the study and presentation of the performing and fine arts by granting funds to nonprofit cultural organizations and local arts councils or consortia.

A variety of organizations and projects are funded, including galleries, museums, symphony orchestras, historical societies, dance troupes, opera companies, musical and vocal groups, historical/architectural preservation groups, and a variety of arts foundations and local art councils.

Information in the applications varies over time, but typically includes legal name and name by which the applicant organization is known; address; contact person; name and address of chairperson; not-for-profit status; sectarian/non-sectarian; prior applications; receipts of multi-year support; type of program; operating budget; funding category; proposed project dates; narrative description of organization; names and salaries of administrative staff members; and lists of board members.

Information on the constituents of the organization includes programs and/or services offered to minorities; representatives of minority and/or special constituent group artists in program; minorities on staff; and minority members of the board of trustees.

The applications also include data on recent improvement to facilities; financial information; schedules/hours of operations; institutional memberships in organizations; description of the project proposed for funding; projected budget; tax exempt status; annual financial report; auditor's report; and income tax return.

Other file material varies but usually includes notifications of decisions and contracts between the council and applicant organizations. Other material may include panel comment forms containing votes and comments of the review panel, final reports containing narrative descriptions of program activities or services performed with grant funds, and council reviewers' descriptions of performances.

14064-98A: Files in this accretion (1967-1972, 1976-1977; bulk 1967-1972) are distinct from other series grant application files. They were pulled from subject and correspondence files from a variety of Council program areas. These programs or project types include Visual Arts; Architectural and Environmental Arts; Museum Aid; Performing Arts; Technical Assistance; Art Resources; and Film and Special Programs. The category marked "decentralization files" contains applications from local arts councils. A container list, and for some boxes a folder list, are available.

14064-02: This accretion contains grant application files for the fiscal years 1997 and 1998. Also included is a separate sub-series of Challenge Program application files for the fiscal years 1996 and 1997. The short-lived Challenge Program was an additional source of state funding made available to cultural organizations and local arts councils during the fiscal years 1995 through 1997.

14064-11: This accretion contains files related to the Folk Arts Program only. Types of records include applications and evaluations as well as supplemental materials such as audio recordings, photographic images, video recordings, catalogues, program booklets, event announcements, and other ephemera.

Container and/or folder lists for most accretions of this series are available at the repository.

14064-90: This accretion includes records from transfer list 920004.

14064-91: Boxes 1-14 are from transfer list 920003; boxes 15-51 are from transfer list 920004. And the transfer list for

14064-92: This accretion includes records from transfer list 920003.

14064-94: Some of the 52 cubic feet of records in the 1994 accretion suffered severe water damage from a flood in July, 1995. Approximately 8 cubic feet of records were authorized for destruction by RDA 19727 and subsequently destroyed. An additional 10 cubic feet are unaccounted for and presumed lost or destroyed.

14064-98A: Prior to transfer to the Archives, council staff removed the files in this accretion from nonarchival subject and correspondence files of a variety of Council on the Arts programs.

Access to certain documents, including but not limited to grant application reviewer comments, is restricted under New York State Freedom of Information Law (FOIL).