One week ago, New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio ordered New York City movie theaters to shut down as part of many initiatives to hopefully “flatten the curve.” Earlier in March, Broadway also shut down as a way to prevent large gatherings. Museums, bookstores and many other arts establishments followed suit as they did their part to stop the spread of the coronavirus. Many of the affected organizations and artists are facing unchartered territory when it comes to how they will survive without their normal income. Below are a few ways to help keep New York’s unique art scene alive while still social distancing.
MOVIE THEATERS
- Film Forum – Gift Certificates
- Village East Cinema – Gift Certificates
- Lincoln Center – Digital Distribution of Independent Titles (eg. Bacurau)
- Metrograph – Gift Card
- Spectacle Theater – Online Donations
- Anthology Film Archives – Online Donations and Advanced Tickets
BOOKSTORES
- Three Lives & Company – Accepting curbside pickup and delivery within the West Village
- McNally Jackson – Online orders, McNally Jackson Bookseller Paypal Support Fund, Tote Bags and Gift Card
- Housing Works Bookstore/Organization – Online Donations and Shop
THEATER ORGANIZATIONS/COMPANIES
- Broadway Cares – Donations support artists to obtain health care and emergency financial assistance
- La Mama – Online live-streams and donations
- Theater for the New City – Donations
GALLERIES
- Artsy – Website that allows you to view and/or purchase gallery artworks online
- Uprise Art – Mission is to inspire a new generation of art collectors to introduce art into their homes. It has a page for affordable originals that all cost under $800
MUSIC VENUES
- Elsewhere – Community Relief GoFundMe to support the 80 employees who now face an uncertain economic future as the venue closes indefinitely
RESOURCES FOR FREELANCE ARTISTS
- Springboard for the Arts – a resource list that includes webinars and community connections, as well as links to other resource lists to help both organizations and individual artists
HOW TO SUPPORT FREELANCE ARTISTS AFFECTED BY CORONAVIRUS
- Artist Support Pledge – Emerging artists are taking a massive hit due to the coronavirus. Thus, U.K. painter Matthew Burrows created the concept of an artist support pledge. It works by urging artists to price their works modestly, then posting their art on Instagram with the tag #artistsupportpledge. From there, other artists can purchase their work through e-commerce sites. If their total profit surpasses 1,000 euros, then they should spend 200 euros on another artist as well.
A version of this article appeared in the Monday, Mar. 23, 2020 print edition. Email the Arts Desk at [email protected].