Individual artists in New York can now receive up to $10,000 in city-funded grants — double the previous amount — Mayor Zohran Mamdani and Department of Cultural Affairs (DCLA) Commissioner Diya Vij announced on October 2 in a video posted to Instagram. The previous baseline of $5,000 had remained in place for nearly 20 years. The DCLA disperses the grants across the city to local partner organizations, which then administer funds to cultural organizations, arts nonprofits and artists. All boroughs are currently accepting applications except Staten Island, which opens in November: the Bronx Council on the Arts accepts applications until October 30, the Brooklyn Arts Council until October 11, the Lower Manhattan Cultural Council until November 12, and the New York Foundation for the Arts in Queens until November 17. The increase follows Mamdani's agreement with the City Council three months ago to allocate $323.8 million to the DCLA in the Fiscal Year 2027 budget — the city's highest-ever yearly appropriation. He also directed a portion of $8.4 million in small-business grants toward public art commissions and arts programming. "Artists are the beating heart of this city, but it's not always easy to make a living as one," Vij said. The context is stark: a Center for an Urban Future report found the city's resident artist population fell 4.4 percent since 2019, its first decline in decades, while a Cultured magazine report found artists often rely on day jobs or teaching to survive. The DCLA's Materials for the Arts warehouse program will also begin monthly shopping appointments for grantees on October 19.