The Culture & Arts Policy Institute’s report on open data in New York City’s culture and arts sector examines how gaps in data availability, quality, and governance limit transparency, evidence-based policymaking, and equitable resource allocation.
Through case studies and system-level analysis, the report identifies structural weaknesses in the cultural data ecosystem and outlines opportunities to strengthen data infrastructure, improve accountability, and support more informed public investment.
Explore the full report, including findings, case studies, and policy recommendations.
This report is a publication of the Culture & Arts Policy Institute. Researched and written by Mauricio Delfin and Gonzalo Casals.
The authors would like to thank NYC Council Member Gale Brewer; Logan Clark and Arden Armbruster (NYC Independent Budget Office); Talia Corren and Risa Shoup (A.R.T./New York); Zachary Feder (NYC Office of Technology and Innovation); Libertad O. Guerra (The Clemente Soto Vélez Cultural & Educational Center); Rasu Jilani (Brooklyn Arts Council); Kimberly Olsen (The New York City Arts in Education Round Table); Craig Peterson (The New York Community Trust); and Candace Thompson-Zachery (Dance/NYC) for sharing their experience and insights on data accessibility and data-sharing practices. The authors also acknowledge the support of the Booth Ferris Foundation.
The Culture & Arts Policy Institute is an organization that addresses critical systemic challenges in New York’s culture and arts sector.
How to cite this report: Delfin, M., & Casals, G. (2026). Data, power, justice: The state of open data in New York City’s culture and arts ecosystem. Culture & Arts Policy Institute.
Conflict of Interest Statement: All authors declare that they have no conflicts of interest.
License: This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.