ABOUT Coalition of Small Arts NYC (CoSA NYC)

In the summer of 2020, thirty-two New York City arts organizations joined together to form Coalition of Small Arts NYC (CoSA NYC), aimed to address the unfolding challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic, and to strengthen their commitments to racial, social, economic, and environmental justice. CoSA NYC formed in recognition that together, small organizations are uniquely resilient and form a cornerstone of the cultural life of New York City. In its first phase, CoSA NYC raised a total of $1,600,000 that was shared equally among thirty-two organizations.

Coalition of Small Arts NYC is A Gathering of the Tribes, Anthology Film Archives, Arts for Art, Asian American Arts Alliance, Bidoun Projects, Blank Forms, COUSIN, Danspace Project, Electronic Arts Intermix (EAI), Franklin Furnace Archive, Harvestworks, HOUSING, Independent Curators International (ICI), ISSUE Project Room, Light Industry, The Luminal Theater, Maysles Documentary Center, MONO NO AWARE, Movement Research, Participant Inc, Primary Information, Queer|Art, SPICY, The Brooklyn Rail, The Chocolate Factory Theater, The Clemente, The Poetry Project, Triple Canopy, Ugly Duckling Presse, UnionDocs, Visual AIDS, and Wendy's Subway.

Individually, the organizations in CoSA NYC are devoted to collaborative relationships with artists and publics, and recognize that the value of smallness means placing the needs of communities ahead of institutional needs. Together, they 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; to facilitating residencies, professional development, education, and advocacy.

In total, the thirty-two organizations in CoSA NYC employ more than 170 art workers, in addition to paying more than 622 contracted workers each year, and their programs reach an annual audience of nearly 4 million people. Their annual operating budgets reflect an average budget size of $560,000, with 80% of the organizations’ budgets falling under $1 million. CoSA NYC represents a wide breadth of experience and cultural histories, from cultural pillars founded as early as 1966 to newly-formed organizations that bring a future-oriented vision to the evolving cultural landscape.

CoSA NYC collectively serves more than 21,500 artists each year. At the core of CoSA NYC’s shared values is a commitment to substantially paying artists, with over $2.8 million in artist fees paid annually. While not a prerequisite for inclusion, many of the organizations in CoSA NYC hold certification from the activist nonprofit W.A.G.E. (Working Artists and the Greater Economy) in recognition of longstanding histories of paying artists fair and standardized fees. Data collected by W.A.G.E.’s Certification program has shown us that fees and direct production support paid to artists by small organizations such as our coalition members by far outsize larger organizations.