NY Mayor Gives $55 Million To Arts

The city of New York’s biggest arts supporter? Gotta be Mayor Michael Bloomberg. “In each of his first two years in office, the gift was $10 million; his largesse for 2004 increased by 50%, to $15 million. This year — with his re-election efforts about to kick into high gear — Bloomberg’s gift, announced July 5, rose to $20 million, meaning that a total of 406 grants will be awarded, a substantial increase from last year’s 302. With his latest gift, Bloomberg has now donated $55 million in four years to the Carnegie Corporation, nearly matching the $70 million he spent on his first mayoral campaign.”