New York's cultural shutdown amid COVID-19 pandemic
In response to COVID-19, cultural venues in New York City began closing, starting with the Metropolitan Museum of Art on March 12, followed by the Whitney Museum on March 13, among others. Some institutions shut down due to suspected coronavirus cases, while others acted out of caution. Museums are now encouraging virtual visits. Broadway shows were halted on March 12, though a few off-Broadway theaters remain operational. Programming at Carnegie Hall and the Metropolitan Opera was canceled, while Stomp continues at the Orpheum Theater. The Tribeca Film Festival, originally scheduled for April 15, has been postponed. A state of emergency was declared by Governor Andrew Cuomo on March 7, with Mayor Bill de Blasio following suit on March 12, and President Trump announcing a national emergency on March 13.
Key facts
- Metropolitan Museum of Art closed March 12
- Whitney Museum closed March 13
- MoMA, Guggenheim, Jewish Museum, American Museum of Natural History, Brooklyn Museum also closed
- Broadway performances suspended from March 12
- Tribeca Film Festival postponed from April 15
- Pace Gallery offers online viewing room
- New York public libraries closed until end of March
- Ellis Island and Statue of Liberty remain open
- Governor Cuomo declared state of emergency March 7
- Mayor de Blasio declared emergency March 12
- Trump declared national emergency March 13, allocated $50 billion
- Louisiana postponed Democratic primaries
- Armory Show and other fairs proceeded the previous week
- Italian cultural institutions in NYC were among first to cancel events
Entities
Artists
- Agnes Pelton
- Garrick Ohlsson
Institutions
- Metropolitan Museum of Art
- Whitney Museum
- Museum of Modern Art
- Guggenheim Museum
- Jewish Museum
- American Museum of Natural History
- Brooklyn Museum
- Marian Goodman Gallery
- Lehmann Maupin
- Petzel Gallery
- Pace Gallery
- David Zwirner
- Carnegie Hall
- Metropolitan Opera
- Orpheum Theater
- Tribeca Film Festival
- 92Y
- Ellis Island Immigration Museum
- Statue of Liberty
- Empire State Building
- New York Public Library
- Brooklyn Public Library
- Queens Public Library
- Armory Show
- Artribune
Locations
- New York City
- New York State
- Louisiana
- United States
- Italy
- Broadway
- Ellis Island
- Queens
- Brooklyn
- Boston