On December 12, 2005, the Newburgh City Council unanimously approved a resolution creating an Arts and Cultural Commission.
The new commission was created in response to local residents and arts professionals brought together in a series of forums convened by City Manager JeanAnn McGrane in August 2004.
“I strongly believe that the energy of the arts can move a community into a new realm, and through the language of the arts the many diverse elements in a community can be pulled together. Newburgh is unique among the Hudson River communities because of its history and diversity. I believe that we can draw on the strength of our diversity to create a new model for what an urban community can be,” said Ms. McGrane.
Ms. McGrane noted that in other cities:
- Arts commissions are established for the purpose of promoting the arts as an integral part of community life, to nurture and preserve cultural diversity, and to enhance and enrich the quality of life for its citizens.
- Arts commissions are established to act in an advisory capacity to a city and its citizens, to represent the interests of the arts to the city and to represent the city’s interests in artrelated matters.
The mission of Newburgh’s new Arts and Cultural Commission is to advise the City Government and its agencies on issues related to the development of art and culture in Newburgh, to encourage tourism, promote arts and culture as an integral part of community life, to foster a creative environment that reflects the diversity of the City of Newburgh, and to increase the role played by the arts in education in all its forms.
The Commission will consist of up to 15 individuals who have a sincere commitment to arts and culture and to the City of Newburgh. A minimum of two-thirds of the Commissioners must be residents of the City of Newburgh. The term of office runs from one to three years for the first group of Commissioners. All Commission members serve on a volunteer basis.
Said Stuart Sachs, a local artist and entrepreneur and member of the Arts Advisory Group that developed the mission and goals for the new Commission, “This is an historic day for Newburgh and its citizens. This Commission can serve as a catalyst to help make Newburgh one of the most exciting cities in the region, and the center for arts in the Hudson Valley.”
Formation of the Commission
 On Feb. 14, 2006, the City Council appointed 15 Commissioners with terms ranging from one to three years. The Commission first met on Feb. 25.
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