This year, the New York State Council on the Arts (NYSCA) crossed the $1 million mark in its total lifetime giving to The Cooper Union. The state agency, whose mission is “to foster and advance the full breadth of New York State’s arts, culture, and creativity for all,” has made grants in support of Cooper every year since 1989.

Included in this year’s NYSCA grants is $25,000 for Cooper’s Saturday Program, which has offered free art and architecture courses to New York City public high school students for nearly six decades. The NYSCA funding also includes a $15,000 grant for Typographics, an annual design festival organized by Type@Cooper and the Herb Lubalin Study Center for Design & Typography. For more than a decade, the festival has drawn professionals, industry representatives, and young artists to The Cooper Union in celebration of a shared love for type and typography. 

NYSCA’s investment in nonprofit arts and culture organizations and individual artists for Fiscal Year 2026 totals more than $63 million in grantmaking across all 10 regions of the state.
“New York’s arts and culture sector is a cornerstone of the state’s identity, and we're making bold investments to ensure it remains strong,” said Governor Kathy Hochul in a press statement. “These grants will lift up artists and organizations in every region, fueling local economies and expanding access to the arts. Congratulations to all the grantees—your talent and dedication help power New York’s future.”