The mission of The ARTS Council of the Southern Finger Lakes (The ARTS) is to enhance the cultural arts for area residents, arts organizations, artists and visitors by serving as a catalyst and advocate to increase participation, advance collaboration and optimize resources.

As a regional Arts Council partially supported by the New York State Council on the Arts (NYSCA), The ARTS provides several clearly defined services, which fulfill the above mission:

• Increasing arts programming and opportunities for the public in Chemung, Schuyler, Steuben and Tioga counties by regranting State funds to local artists and arts/cultural organizations, through the NYSCA Decentralization Program;

• Furthering the integration of the arts into school curricula, by regranting State funds to school districts through NYSCAs Local Capacity Building Initiative, in Allegany, Chemung, Schuyler and Steuben counties;

• Providing professional development opportunities for teachers, school administrators and teaching artists throughout the Southern Tier, focusing on integrating the arts into school curricula;

• Increasing public awareness of and access to the rich folk arts traditions of the Southern Tier;

• Providing technical assistance, linkages, advocacy and other services to individual artists and arts/cultural organizations throughout Chemung, Schuyler, and Steuben counties; and

• Further serving the public in Chemung, Schuyler, and Steuben counties through arts advocacy, special school arts activities, and information sharing.

Additional funding from local foundations, county governments, members and patrons allows The ARTS to provide these services on a full-time basis in our community and to advocate for artists, arts/cultural organizations, educators and students with a strong voice.  A listing of our Board of Directors and Staff is available here.

To make a tax-deductible contribution and/or to join The ARTS as an Artist Member, please click here.