Senator Serrano Announces Arts Task Force Members

New York - Senator Serrano, (D-Manhattan/Bronx), today announced the members of the Senate Minority Task Force on the Arts and Economic Development which he is the Chair of. As a member of the New York City Council, Senator Serrano served as the Chair of the Committee on Cultural Affairs. Prior to his time in the City Council, Serrano worked for several years in non-profit theater. In May he was appointed by Minority Leader David Patterson to head a task force on the arts as a vehicle to explore ways that the state legislature can better support this vital sector.

"I am very excited to introduce the members of the Arts Task Force. My colleagues and I are very anxious to begin exploring a wide array of topics regarding the arts and the impact that they have on our state’s economy. It is clear to us in the Senate that the state has not done all that it can to fully promote the arts. The state has failed to see the true value that the arts play in our society," said Senator Serrano.

The Senator said, "I feel that the arts are one of the strongest facets of our state’s economy, and that we can do much more to foster the arts as a valuable resource. My colleagues were eager to join this task force because they too see the arts as a pillar of our society and the very fabric that binds us all. We owe it to our society to fully explore the impact the arts have beyond the aesthetic level."

Joining Serrano on the Senate Minority Task Force on the Arts and Cultural Affairs are (listed alphabetically):

Senator Martin Connor – 25th Senate District
Senator Martin Dilan – 17th Senate District
Senator Thomas Duane – 29th Senate District
Senator Ruth Hassell-Thompson – 26th Senate District
Senator Jeffery Klein – 34th Senate District
Senator Liz Krueger – 27th Senate District
Senator Velmanette Montgomery – 18th Senate District
Senator Suzi Oppenheimer – 37th Senate District
Senator John Sabini – 13th Senate District
Senator Eric Schneiderman – 31st Senate District
Senator Malcolm Smith – 14th Senate District
Senator David Valesky – 49th Senate District

Senator José M. Serrano, represents the 28th Senate District, which is comprised of parts of the South Bronx, Highbridge, University Heights, East Harlem, Yorkville, and Roosevelt Island.