News and Press Releases

MFTA Presents "All Night I Hear the Nose of Water Sobbing," A New Exhibition by MFTA Artist-in-Residence Mary Mattingly 
Mary Mattingly's fascination for water permeates through colorful water sculptures, leaving visitors to meditate on the element’s simultaneous capacity to corrode and restore our physical and internal worlds.
March 12, 2026
Learn more about Mattingly's work.

Mayor Zohran Mamdani Appoints Diya Vij as Commissioner of the Department of Cultural Affairs
As Commissioner, Vij will extend Mayor Mamdani’s affordability agenda to the arts, ensuring NYC remains the cultural capital of the world. 
February 28, 2026
Learn more about the new appointment. 

Mayor Mamdani Announces Completion of Weeksville Restoration, Preserving One of the Nation’s Oldest Free Black Communities
DCLA joined Mayor Mamdani to mark the completion of a major restoration of the historic Hunterfly Road Houses at the Weeksville Heritage Center in Brooklyn.
February 27, 2026
Learn more about the restoration project.

NYC Department of Cultural Affairs Announces $74.3 Million in Grants for 1,171 Cultural Organizations Across the City 
The Fiscal Year 2026 Cultural Development Fund awards represent the largest-ever funding allocation, supporting affordable and accessible cultural programs in all five boroughs.
February 26, 2026 
Learn more about the FY 2026 Cultural Development Fund awards.

Public Art for Public Schools: at the Start of a New Semester, NYC Department of Cultural Affairs' Percent for Art Program and NYC School Construction Authority's Public Art of Public Schools Celebrate Five New Installations
DCLA, in partnership with the New York City School Construction Authority, is delighted to announce five new, permanent art projects completed in NYC public schools in 2025 across the Bronx, Queens, and Staten Island. 
January 28, 2026
Learn more about the new public artworks. 

Materials for the Arts Presents "AIRPLANE," a Fashion Show by MFTA Designer-in-Residence Victor Pearlman on January 22, 2026
Victor Pearlman's "AIRPLANE" - the is first-ever live fashion show to take place in the MFTA warehouse - is inspired by the designer's longtime fascination with airports and planes. Pearlman's collection encapsulates the liminal experience of air travel shaped by bureaucratic transit systems, safety devices, uniformity, efficiency, and conveyor-belt repetition.
January 13, 2026
Learn more about Victor Pearlman's collection and residency.