Harvestworks, the storied arts center in NYC that has been a hub for electronic music and media since its 1977 founding, is making an urgent appeal. Cuts by the Trump administration’s National Endowment for the Arts threaten the space.
Harvestworks is a special place. It’s hard to imagine the scene worldwide without them – the influence of their programming and legendary residency program (artists in residence, pictured above) has reached practically everywhere. So it’s not just about what the impact is to NYC, but the scene in general. Here’s the message they’ve shared:
After many years of support, the National Endowment for the Arts has canceled funding approved to us for 2025. This unexpected loss presents a significant challenge to our organization—but we remain committed to our mission: supporting artists in the creation of groundbreaking work at the intersection of art and technology.
But we can’t do this without you!!
We’re asking you—our community of artists, audiences, and advocates—to stand with us now!
Here’s how you can help:
- Make a donation here: https://www.harvestworks.org/donations/ Your contribution, no matter the size, will go directly toward supporting artists and maintaining access to critical technology and facilities.
- Write to your representatives. Let them know that public funding for the arts matters-that organizations like Harvestworks are vital to cultural innovation and deserve continued support. Your voice can help shape arts policy and funding priorities.
- Spread the word. Share our story with your network. Attend our events. Encourage others to engage with and support our work.
It’s significant that this comes amidst an assault on academic freedoms, including at NYC campuses (impacting, for instance, the iconic Columbia electronic music program). That also has repercussions for our global community, something I hope to write about not only from the perspective of the USA or here in Germany, but elsewhere, too. (Though, if you want, ask me my thoughts on recent Berlin and federal German arts administrators. That’ll be one for a beer at Superbooth.)
Thanks for your help in sharing the word. Here’s an image from 1977, just to get a sense of how long this history reaches:
Feature image: Kat Mustatea, still from “BodyMouth” performance during Barnard residency.
Explore Harvestworks’ programs and find ways to support them:
And of course, whether or not you have resources, just spreading the word – and sharing international challenges as they impact us collectively – is an enormous help.