Mission
The Coalition of Small Arts NYC (CoSA NYC) is an evolving coalition of small arts organizations that came together in 2020 to strengthen infrastructures, increase access to resources, and build long-lasting partnerships. Together, as small arts organization, we represent a cornerstone of cultural life and creative community in New York City.
Our organizations are continually devoted to collaborative relationships with artists and recognize that the value of smallness means placing the needs of our communities ahead of our institutional needs. Together, we encompass a broad range of disciplines, including dance and performance, music and sound, film and media arts, literature, and visual arts; with services ranging from public exhibitions, performances, and screenings; to publishing, archiving, and preserving artists’ works; facilitating residencies, educational and professional development, and advocacy. The artistic work upheld by CoSA NYC members is a labor of solidarity: We stand with artists who have been traditionally overlooked by larger institutions, which have historically systematically excluded the types of artists we serve. CoSA NYC believes in Cornel West’s assertions about “the central role of the arts for oppressed people,” and aligns with the idea that every artist has the right to representation for their work, no matter how difficult, challenging, or provocative their topics.
About Us
Through our respective efforts to connect artists with the public, collectively, our programs reach an audience of nearly 4 million people each year.
We represent a vast community of diverse, NYC artists and art workers. Currently, our thirty-one organizations employ more than 170 art workers, in addition to paying more than 622 contracted workers each year.
Our operating budgets reflect an average budget size of $560,000, with 80% of the organizations’ budgets falling under $1 million.
On Smallness
As art historian David Joselit argues, in an essay commissioned by CPNY, “While large institutions canonize—i.e., turn information into history—small arts organizations may pluralize its shapes … as well as the stories it can tell. To make information malleable and mobile again in unexpected ways, and to resist its enclosure by elites and its reification into dominant narratives, is to make art political.”
Uniquely Resilient
A small percentage will be devoted toward further developing our advocacy role, and in creating an open system for small-scale and micro-organizations to join as our initiatives progress. CoSA NYC continues to design and evolve itself and frequently assesses, adjusts, and expands best practices and sites for the presentation of art and culture aimed at equity and justice.