GANYC

GANYC (Guides Association of New York City) was founded in 1974 and is a professional trade association or latter day guild, whose, members are all licensed New York City tour guides (New York City tour guide licenses are issued by the New York City Department of Consumer Affairs) ^[1] with some approved industry member partners. It is one of the oldest tour guide associations in the United States.^[2]

The organization has also acted as an aid in finding government assistance for its constituents. About one such noteworthy instance following the events of September 11, 2001, member Harry Matthews stated in relating how an organization official reached out ....." She gave guides explicit instructions at association meetings and through GANYC’s newsletter, Guidelines, enabling many to receive invaluable funds"'.... In the same article the author goes on to relate that....""According to the newsletter (Guidelines), having a business address in the southern region of Manhattan was originally required for assistance, but many independent guides like Mr. Matthews learned through GANYC how to argue that, while their address wasn’t on the streets of Lower Manhattan, their business was".... ^[3]

The organization publishes the aforementioned newsletter "Guidelines" of which Dave Gardner is presently the editor-in-Chief.^[4] The Guides association of New York City's current President is Michael Dillinger. ^[5]

The GANYC Apple Awards

On March 2, 2015 first GANYC "Apple Awards" ceremony was held at the Leonard Nimoy Thalia theater at Symphony Space on the Upper West Side of Manhattan to honor the best in New York City culture, preservation and tourism.^[6] At this event among the nominees and recipients, the artist James Turrell was honored with a lifetime achievement award.^[7] Other awards at the gala which were given to individuals and organizations as chosen from groups of nominees were; tour guide Justin Ferate (New York City Walking Tours), the Friends of the High Line, Christopher Gray and his Streetscapes column for the New York Times, William Helmreich and his book The New York Nobody Knows: 6,000 Miles In The City, The Museum of the City of New York‘s exhibition Palaces For the People: Guastavino and the Art of Structural tile, Kathleen O’Connor from the New York Historical Society, Russ & Daughters, the Lower East Side appetizing shop celebrating its 100 years of business in 2014 and Kevin Walsh and the website he founded "Forgotten NY".^[8] The award ceremony was held just three days after the passing of the namesake and principal benefactor of the theater in which it was held, Mr. Nimoy. Therefore it was fitting that one of the presenters Ethel Sheffer, the widow of Isaiah Sheffer at whose production, Selected Shorts the famed portrayer of Star Trek first officer and Vulcan, Spock would often appear in at the theater would in turn pay tribute to him at this gala also held at the venue.^[9]

The second annual GANYC Apple Awards were held on March 7, 2016 once again at the Leonard Nimoy theater at Symphony Space. Among those honored were Jazz chanteuse Marjorie Eliot with the Lifetime achievement award and tour guide and urban historian Lee Gelber, received the organization's inaugural "Guiding Spirit Award". Once again other awards at the gala which were given to individuals and organizations as chosen from groups of nominees and they were as follows; for "outstanding achievement in support of New York City-- Culture", Susan Henshaw Jones, Ronay Menschel Director, Museum of the City of New York (from 2003-2015), for "Outstanding achievement in support of New York City-- Tourism" Gregory Wessner, Executive Director, Open House New York, for "Outstanding achievement in support of New York City-- Preservation" Jeremiah Moss, Organizer of #SaveNYC, author of Vanishing New York, for "outstanding NYC website" Vanishing New York Jeremiah Moss, for "Outstanding Achievement in NYC Photography (singular image, published October 2015-15)" Jeff Chien-Hsing Liao Highbridge, for "Outstanding Achievement in Radio Program/Podcast (Audio/Spoken Word)" The Brian Lehrer Show WNYC 93.9FM, for "Outstanding Achievement in “Fiction” Book Writing (published October 2014-15)" City on Fire: A Novel, by Garth Risk Hallberg, for " Outstanding Achievement in “Non-Fiction” Book Writing (published October 2014-15)" Saving Place: 50 Years of New York City Landmarks edited by Donald Albrecht and Andrew Dolkart, Iwan Baan, photographer, for "Outstanding Achievement in Essay/Article/Series Writing (published October 2014-15)" Grub Street, New York Magazine, Sierra Tishgart, Senior Editor, for "Outstanding Achievement in NYC Food (focusing on anniversaries and special accomplishments)" Yonah Schimmel Knishery, Celebrating 125 years and for " Outstanding Achievement in NYC Museum Exhibitions (October 2014-15)" Frida Kahlo: Art, Garden, Life; Adriana Zavala, Guest Curator, New York Botanical Garden. ^[10]

References

External links

• official website