Open Data Program
Our Open Data program promotes a culture of open data practices in New York’s arts and cultural sector through diagnostic reports, capacity-building activities, and policy recommendations for non-profit, public, and philanthropic institutions.
Current Projects
Data, Power, Justice: The State of Open Data in New York City’s Culture and Arts Ecosystem
A report that examines how data shapes power, participation, and accountability in one of the city’s most vital yet least transparent sectors. Drawing on interviews with policymakers, cultural organizations, oversight agencies, and funders, the report maps New York City’s cultural data ecosystem and finds a striking gap: despite the city’s leadership in open data, culture and arts data remain sparse, fragmented, and often misaligned with open data standards. This lack of accessible, usable information limits the sector’s ability to analyze equity, coordinate advocacy, and participate meaningfully in cultural policymaking.
The report frames open data not as a technical fix, but as a tool for data justice—one that can rebuild trust, shift power toward historically excluded communities, and strengthen civic participation when treated as a shared public good. It offers concrete findings and recommendations across government, civil society, and philanthropy, calling for stronger compliance with open data laws, shared standards, improved data literacy, and collaborative governance models. Together, these proposals outline a pathway toward a more transparent, equitable, and community-governed data ecosystem for New York City’s culture and arts sector.
Culture Data Commons
The Commons is a civic infrastructure project designed to reframe how cultural data is collected, governed, and used in New York City’s arts ecosystem. Rather than treating data as a proprietary asset controlled by institutions or intermediaries, The Commons CDC advances a shared, community-governed approach to data stewardship. The project brings together cultural organizations, researchers, advocates, and public partners to co-create a shared space where cultural data can be documented, standardized, and made accessible to support transparency, collective learning, and policy advocacy.
At its core, The Commons is about shifting power. By building shared standards, participatory governance structures, and open protocols, the project aims to reduce reporting burdens on organizations, counter data privatization, and enable the sector to use its own data for storytelling, equity analysis, and coordinated action. The Commons positions data as a public resource—one that strengthens trust between government and civil society, supports evidence-based cultural policy, and equips artists and organizations to shape decisions that affect their communities.
