Northern Manhattan Arts Alliance

The Northern Manhattan Arts Alliance (NoMAA) was founded in 2007 to support artists and arts organizations in Washington Heights and Inwood and 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 (UMEZ) and is being incubated by the Hispanic Federation during its start up phase. NoMAA is governed by a Board of Directors composed of community stakeholders and led by Executive Director Sandra A. García Betancourt, and receives input from an Advisory Council of representatives from local arts organizations.

Mission

To cultivate, support and promote the work of artists and arts organizations in Northern Manhattan.

Vision

To foster the diverse artistic expressions of artists and cultural organizations throughout Washington Heights and Inwood by increasing the visibility of their works.

Values

Creativity: NoMAA supports excellence in work created by artists, artisans and cultural organizations by encouraging uniqueness, imagination, and innovation.

Diversity: NoMAA celebrates diversity by serving a vibrant population of artists and cultural organizations of different artistic disciplines, genders, race, age, ethnicity, religion, and sexual orientation.

Collaboration: NoMAA fosters partnerships among artists, cultural organizations, businesses, schools and institutions through programs and activities that improve the quality of life in the neighborhood.

Social Responsibility: NoMAA’s promotion of the arts enables the success of low-income artists from underserved communities, and stimulates economic development in neighborhoods.

Artists Development: NoMAA is committed to providing education, advocacy, financial and technical support to artists and arts organizations and to expand the visibility of the Washington Heights/ Inwood arts and culture community beyond its borders.

A Sense of Place: NoMAA believes that the artists and residents of Northern Manhattan have unique contributions to make to the extraordinary cultural life of New York City.