The Rockefeller Foundation has announced the opening of its 2009 New York City Cultural Innovation Fund competition. Established in 2007, the fund awards a total of $2.7 million in grants annually to spur and support cultural innovation in New York City's creative sector, a vital economic engine. Projects selected for funding fall into one or more of the following categories: creative engagement with the issues shaping New York City's future cultural and civic agenda; programming and premieres of new artistic work that demonstrate fresh perspectives and can activate new directions in the visual, performing, and media arts; new partnerships among cultural organizations, community-based institutions, universities, and the private sector; and interventions designed to confront longstanding bottlenecks and limitations to the expansion of cultural vitality with fresh approaches and solutions.