Alianza de las Artes del Norte de Manhattan

New York — The Northern Manhattan Arts Alliance (NoMAA) announced the awarding of $50,000 through its Grant Program to seven arts organizations and 33 artists. These grantees are the first to receive funding through this new program. The Grant Program provides funds ranging from $1,000 to $5,000 to organizations for capacity-building projects; funds ranging from $500 to $2,000 are awarded to individual artists to support the creation of new artistic work.

The Grant Program is the first funding program established by NoMAA. Grants made in this funding cycle are the initial funds to specifically target the Washington Heights/Inwood arts community. Representative projects receiving funding include one to create an organizational website to communicate and disseminate information to a broader constituency than can be reached through print media and another to use film as a medium for documenting the development of a mural that beautifies the community, explores the perception of youth art and graffiti, and engages neighborhood residents. (For a detailed list of funding recipients and projects, please see the attached list.) Funding for this cycle was provided by the Upper Manhattan Empowerment Zone.

"The Northern Manhattan Arts Alliance is an essential part of UMEZ's work to nurture and grow artistic and cultural resources in Washington Heights/Inwood," said Kenneth J. Knuckles, President & CEO of UMEZ. "We are pleased that our collaborative efforts with NoMAA, will result in an allocation of funding to many organizations and individuals in the Washington Heights/Inwood community. This funding will provide them with much-needed and much-deserved assistance so that they may continue their outstanding work and creative endeavors, thereby enriching not only Upper Manhattan, but the entire City, as well."

Over the grant term, NoMAA will partner with each of the 40 grant recipients and actively monitor the impact of the funding on individual grantees and the field at large. Aided by this knowledge, NoMAA will be equipped to develop effective programs in the future to serve artists and arts organizations in the area.

"We will measure the outcome of this funding and how it is helping to advance the works of our artists and cultural organizations by working closely with all the grantees to secure their success. Our arts community success is our own success. If they flourish, NoMAA and our Washington Heights/Inwood communities at large will be strengthened," said Sandra A. Garcia-Betancourt, Executive Director & CEO, NoMAA.

Grant recipients were selected through a competitive, panel review process. Panel recommendations were forwarded to the NoMAA board for review and approval. The panelists included representatives of the arts and educational communities, as well as local civic organizations, among them Ken Moss, Executive Director of the Morris-Jumel Mansion; Yasmin Ramirez, Ph.D., Arts Fellow, Center for Puerto Rican Studies at Hunter College; Rocio Aranda-Alvarado, Curator, Jersey City Museum; Rosita Romero, Director of the Dominican Women's Development Center; Ty Jones, Actor and Playwright; Susan Delvalle, Director of External Affairs, El Museo del Barrio; Scherezade Garcia, Painter; Lila Zemborain, Poet & Professor at NYU Spanish & Portuguese Department; Lin-Manuel Miranda, Actor & Playwright, director of the acclaimed musical In the Heights; Inés Aslan, Assistant Director, Public Relations, The Film Society at Lincoln Center; Mario Diaz de Leon, Musician; and Knox Martin, Painter.

"Being able to provide these outstanding arts groups and artists with funding is extremely gratifying. But this is just the beginning," said Zead Ramadan, Chairman of NoMAA Board of Directors. "Our board, executive director and staff are committed to work hard to bring more support to the Northern Manhattan arts community, not only in the form of grants, but through technical assistance, marketing and promotions. We are very pleased with the direction that we are taking even at this early stage in our organization's history, and look forward to all the exciting works that our grantees will be creating in 2008."

The NoMAA Grant Awards Ceremony was held on Wednesday, January 16th, 2008, 6PM- 8PM, at The Cornerstone Center, 178 Bennett Avenue, New York, NY, 10040.

In attendance were artists and representatives of arts organizations receiving funding, elected officials, NoMAA's board of directors and staff; business and community leaders; representatives of the Upper Manhattan Empowerment Zone (UMEZ) and the Hispanic Federation. Photos from the event can be seen here: http://picasaweb.google.com/NoMAAalbum. This event was sponsored by local business and friends of NoMAA including Hispaniola Restaurant and Sanchez Liquor Store.

For more information, contact Diana Caba, (212) 568-4396 or (212) 233-8955.

About NoMAA
The mission of the Northern Manhattan Arts Alliance is to cultivate, support and promote the work of artists and arts organizations in Northern Manhattan. NoMAA was founded in 2007 to support artists and arts organizations in Washington Heights/Inwood, and to serve as a catalyst in the ongoing cultural and economic development of Northern Manhattan. NoMAA is a non-profit organization with primary funding from the Upper Manhattan Empowerment Zone and is being incubated by the Hispanic Federation during its start up phase.