Mayor Bloomberg unveiled a $63.6 billionbudget last weekthat proposes massive cuts throughout various sectors in
New York in an attemptto remedy the financial downturn that has crippled the city's economy. Thebudget will undoubtedly trim cultural funding — a blow that comes at a time whenart financing statewide, as outlined by Governor Pattersons 2010-2011financial plan, is facing a projected $9.6-million-dollar reduction. To makematters worse, Obamas recently unveiled fiscal forecast also calls fordrastic federal arts cutbacks in 2011.

Programs such as Percent for Art,that commissions and installs site-specific, public art works throughout the city’s five boroughs and Materials for the Arts, which redistributes supplies toartists and educators citywide, could face serious hardships. Already,institutions such as the Metropolitan Museum of Art, which cut 14 percent of their staff last year,has been forced to make major changes in operations.

For a city that prides itself onits rich artistic programs and is considered by many to be the epicenter of theart world, these reductions could dramatically alter New York City’s culturallandscape, rendering art accessible only to the demographic able to pay for it.Incidentally, the art market continues to thrive privately, with contemporaryartworks commanding record auction prices, even as the recession looms. It raisesthe age-old debate of who should be able to view art. Without municipalinvestment, the answer may be: only a select few.

Because some of the most recent, significantpublic installations have been financed by private donors—Jean-Claude andChristo bankrolled their $21-million, 2005 Gates project in Central Park, and Bloomberg’s own company fronted $13.5 million to produce Olafur Eliassons ambitious New York City Waterfallsthere’sreason to hope that the same collectors who are buying will subsidize projectsthat can be enjoyed by all, if the city cannot.

“Public art is a signature of
New York City,” the mayordeclared last year when the waterfalls were unveiled. We’ll see if he’s able torepeat this sentiment with the same conviction after the final budget isrevealed, knowing that the city’s “signature” will be extraordinarily affected.