NYC Cultural Institutions Closures, Postponements and Cancellations in the wake of Covid-19
On Thursday, March 12, 2020, New York State Governor Andrew Cuomo announced the state-wide ban on gatherings of 500 persons or more. Almost immediately thereafter, New Yorkled began receiving alerts from local NYC cultural institutions and event organizers regarding cancellations, postponements and closures. It wasn’t until the next day, when NYC Mayor, Bill de Blasio declared a State of Emergency within NYC that the numbers of alerts multiplied. They’ve continued into the weekend that followed.
It’s out of respect to our fellow New Yorkers, those institutions which have responsibly taken actions (assuring the safety of their fellow New Yorkers) and the effort they’ve put towards helping our communities that we’ll try to list as many as possible within this page. Surely, there are many more than we’ve actually heard from, and so, we’ll do our best to list any others as well. The listing on this page is not representative of all the organizations which have taken steps with the best in my for our beloved city.
Below, we’ve only included a portion of each corresponding alert.
Remember that many of these institutions are non-profits which depend partly if not fully upon donations and support from the public.
Additions to this page will be continuously made. Any non profit seeing this page and wishing to add their alerts are welcomed to contact newyorkled (at) hotmail.com
Alice Austen House
The Alice Austen House will close this weekend for installation of its new exhibition Powerful and Dangerous, the Words and Images of Audre Lorde. We will also take this opportunity to support the city-wide effort to contain the possible spread of Coronavirus by deep cleaning all of our public and staff spaces. We will remain closed until at least March 31st
Museum at Eldridge Street
Due to the escalating concern around COVID-19 and the cautions advocated by public health officials, the Museum at Eldridge Street has made the tough decision to temporarily suspend all activity beginning Sunday, March 15th.
This suspension means that beginning March 15th:
- The Museum building is closed to the public
- Docent-led tours are cancelled
- Adult Education classes are postponed
- March school programs are cancelled
- Stories of Wontons to Waffles (March 18) is postponed
Irish Arts Center
Like many of you we have been monitoring developments with COVID-19, and following advice from the Centers for Disease Control, National Institutes of Health, and the New York City Departments of Health and CulturalAffairs. We are grateful for their guidance in an obviously evolving situation.
At this time, in the interest of protecting our artists, audiences, teachers, students, colleagues, and the vulnerable among us, and to assist our public health services in their effort to slow the growth of the virus, we will be suspending all Irish Arts Center programming and classes through the end of March.
Queens Public Library
I am writing to share with you that Queens Public Library is suspending all of our programs, events, classes, community room requests, and workshops from Friday, March 13 through at least the end of the month.
We are taking this step, along with the Brooklyn and New York Public libraries, to limit the number of public gatherings throughout our respective systems in an effort to help the City slow the spread of the coronavirus. As you can imagine, this was an extremely difficult decision. We know how much you rely on our programs and services for inspiration, knowledge, and information.
Metropolitan Museum of Art
The Metropolitan Museum of Art announced today that it will temporarily close all three locations—The Met Fifth Avenue, The Met Breuer, and The Met Cloisters—starting tomorrow, March 13, to support New York City’s effort to contain the spread of COVID-19. The Museum will undertake a thorough cleaning and plans to announce next steps early next week.
Lehman Center for the Performing Arts
“Following the advice of Dr. Howard Zucker, State Commissioner of Health, we have, decided to postpone events and performances scheduled for the remainder of March as a precautionary measure to minimize potential risk to the community. The Lehman Center for the Performing Arts is rescheduling its March performances; Lehman Center staff will be in touch with ticketholders about their options for the rest of the season in the coming weeks. The safety of our staff and patrons remains a top priority, and we will continue to monitor COVID-19 developments to determine when it makes sense for us to resume large gatherings that involve our community partners.” – President Lemons
Symphony Space
As you know from our recent e-mail, we have been monitoring developments on COVID-19, and we have been following guidelines suggested by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and city government agencies. As the local, national, and global response to the pandemic has been shifting rapidly, we have made the decision to suspend all programs in our theaters through April 1.
The health and safety of our artists, audiences, staff, teaching artists, students, colleagues, visiting presenters, and any vulnerable populations with whom we all have contact are our top priority. We feel that it is our responsibility as a community space to assist the city and our public health services in slowing the spread of COVID-19.
The Frick Collection
Like many of you, we have been monitoring developments of COVID-19 and following advice from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, World Health Organization, and the New York City Departments of Health and Cultural Affairs. As a precautionary measure and to assist public health services in their efforts to slow the spread of the virus, we have closed the museum and library, effective today, and are cancelling public programming for the time being.
South Street Seaport Museum
South Street Seaport Museum will temporarily close to the public beginning tomorrow, March 13, 2020 for at least two weeks.
Capt. Jonathan Boulware, President of the South Street Seaport Museum said, “We’ve been planning for this possibility. It’s painful to do, but we must take care of our staff and visitors. We have a duty, too, as a civic organization, as a convener of people, to do our part to help stem the spread of this virus. When and at what pace the Seaport Museum will reopen to the public will be determined through thoughtful consideration of this rapidly evolving situation. We continue to follow guidance from our City and State governmental partners as well as from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and World Health Organization (WHO).”
Queens Symphony Orchestra
After careful consideration, and in the best interest of our musicians and audience members, we have decided to postpone our upcoming concert scheduled for March 22nd due to the outbreak of the coronavirus.
We have plans to reschedule the concert later this season. We will of course keep you posted about that and our future events.
The Center
Following guidance from New York State, including a ban on gatherings of more than 500 people related to the prevention of coronavirus (COVID-19), The Center has made the difficult decision to close, effective Friday, March 13 at 6 p.m. We don’t make this decision lightly, but do so in the interest of our community’s health and wellness, which is our top priority. In-person operations are suspended and the building will remain closed indefinitely. All events, meetings and room reservations are canceled until The Center resumes regular operations.
Tribeca Film Festival
We founded the Tribeca Film Festival as a way to heal our community after the devastation of the 9/11 attacks in 2001. We were determined to overcome our fear and anxiety by joining together. It is in our DNA to march forward while caring about our community
We have made the difficult decision to postpone the 19th Tribeca Film Festival (April 15-26) based on the announcement by Gov. Andrew Cuomo that events of 500 people or more are banned due to the spread of the novel coronavirus. We are committed to ensuring the health and safety of the public while also supporting our friends, filmmakers and storytellers who look to Tribeca as a platform to showcase their work to audiences. We will be back to you shortly with our plans.
Rooftop Films
Following guidance from The Center for Disease Control and with an abundance of concern for the health and safety of our patrons, artists, partners, volunteers, and staff related to the spread of the COVID-19 virus, Rooftop Films is postponing our screenings for the month of March, including our free presentation of Queen & Slim at Industry City next Thursday, March 19th. We hope to reschedule as soon as possible, and will be sending out updates as soon as we’re able.
Brooklyn Bridge Park Conservancy
In support of the City’s efforts to limit the spread of Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19), Brooklyn Bridge Park Conservancy is temporarily closing its Environmental Education Center beginning Friday, March 13 through the end of the month. The health and safety of all students, staff, families and volunteers continues to be the Conservancy’s first priority. As a result, we have been taking several proactive precautionary measures, including rigorous cleaning routines, and closely monitoring New York City Department of Health and Department of Education recommendations.
Queens Museum
As the situation around COVID-19 continues to evolve, we are taking every necessary step to protect the health of our staff and visitors. At this point in time, we have decided to temporarily close the Queens Museum starting Friday, March 13th, 2020 to Friday, March 20th, 2020. While there are no confirmed cases connected to the Museum, this decision has been made to support regional and national efforts limiting the spread of COVID-19.
We are assessing the situation on a daily basis and will adjust our events schedule accordingly. We encourage you to check our website and social media channels for regular updates, and look forward to welcoming you back to the Queens Museum in due course.
Apollo Theater
In response to heightened concerns relating to the spread of the Coronavirus (COVID-19), and in keeping the health and well-being of our audience, artists, community, visitors and staff our top priority, the Apollo Theater is canceling all Apollo Theater-produced public programs such as WOW – Women of the World Festival, Amateur Night at the Apollo, School Day Live, Historic Tours, Live Wire, Apollo Comedy Club, and Apollo Music Café events beginning tomorrow, March 13 through Saturday, April 4.
Bronx Museum
The Bronx Museum of the Arts will temporarily close to the public starting Friday, March 13. All upcoming programs are cancelled. We will continue our increased sanitation efforts and will undergo extensive professional deep cleaning during our closure.
The health and well-being of our staff, community, and visitors is our number one priority. We are closely monitoring the situation, and will continue to update the museum’s status at twitter.com/BronxMuseum.
Third Rail Projects
In light of the escalating Coronavirus COVID-19 pandemic and the New York City and New York State mandate to limit capacity at Broadway theaters and reduce social gatherings, and in order to keep our company and audiences safe, we are canceling upcoming performances of Then She Fell. Currently, our plan is to only suspend performances through Sunday, April 12th.
Chelsea Piers
Based on the ongoing spread of COVID-19 in New York City and Connecticut, and on the advice of public officials who are strongly urging social-distancing, we have made a decision to temporarily close the sports, fitness and recreation businesses at Chelsea Piers, Chelsea Piers Fitness, and Chelsea Piers Connecticut effective tonight at 12:001AM, March 13, 2020. The current closure announcement is through March 31, 2020, but may be extended.
We regret having to make this decision but believe that, given the circumstances, temporarily closing is in the best interest of our Chelsea Piers community and necessary to responsibly respond to the COVID-19 health crisis in our city and nation. We did not make this decision lightly and recognize the inconvenience it will cause our valued customers and members. However, our overarching concern is the health of our community.
New Museum
In response to heightened concerns relating to the spread of COVID-19 and to ensure the health and safety of the Museum’s staff and public, the New Museum will temporarily close its galleries and offices at 9:00 p.m. this evening, Thursday, March 12, 2020. We join many cultural institutions across the city and country who are also closing to help limit the further spread of the Coronavirus, and moving to remote work wherever possible.
World Science Festival
Due to the global Covid-19 pandemic, the live event portion of this year’s festival, originally scheduled for May 27-31, in New York City, is cancelled. We anticipate shifting a number of these programs into online productions, which we will distribute through our YouTube channel as well as our website. We will keep you informed as these become available in the coming months.
Guggenheim Museum
Beginning Friday, March 13, the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum in New York is temporarily closed to the public until further notice. The closure is a proactive measure to protect the health of the museum’s visitors and staff in response to the coronavirus (COVID-19), and in accordance with the state and city’s declaration of a state of emergency. All public events scheduled through April 30, 2020 are canceled or postponed.
We will continue to monitor recommendations from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the New York Department of Health. For updated information on museum hours, programming, and ticket refunds, visit guggenheim.org/coronavirus.
BRIC
Starting Friday, March 13 through March 31, all of our media education classes are postponed, both at BRIC House and Brooklyn Public Libraries. If you are a registered student, you will be contacted with further instructions from our Education Team.
Starting Monday, March 16 through March 31, our building, BRIC House at 647 Fulton St., will be closed to the public. This means that our exhibitions, media center, public spaces, and BRIC Cafe will be closed and all of our public programs will be postponed or canceled, including this Saturday’s performance by Gyun Hur. We will be reaching out to ticket buyers by the end of the day on Friday, March 13 with additional information on rescheduling or refunding. Please view our calendar of events for updates.
Museum of the City of New York
In the interest of safety for our staff and visitors, the Museum of the City of New York will be closed to the public starting this Friday March 13th for cleaning and sanitizing of the building. The Museum has no known cases of staff testing positive for Coronavirus at this time.
Public and education programs, field trips, and private tours will be temporarily suspended, and we will not be able to administer the 2020 Census during this time.
However, the Museum’s administrative offices will remain open. Staff that can work a flexible work schedule will do so.
Whitney Museum of American Art
The Whitney has been actively monitoring the COVID-19 situation as circumstances in New York City evolve. In the interest of protecting the wellbeing of our staff, volunteers, and visitors, and following guidance from local, state, and federal authorities regarding measures that best promote public health, we have decided to temporarily close the Whitney to the public and cancel all events, beginning on Friday, March 13, at 5 pm. Any patrons who have purchased advance tickets for museum admission or public programs will be contacted for refunds.
Merchant’s House Museum
In response to heightened concerns relating to the spread of coronavirus (COVID-19) and as a matter of care for our staff, volunteers, visitors, community, and city, the Merchant’s House will be closed to the public for two weeks starting today, Friday, March 13. We join many cultural institutions across the city and country who are also closing to help limit the further spread of the coronavirus.
We hope to re-open on Monday, March 30, but we will continue to monitor the situation and re-evaluate in two weeks, based on additional information and recommendations from public officials. All public programs scheduled before March 30 have been canceled; ticket buyers will be contacted asap.
Society of Illustrators
In the interest of safety for our staff and visitors, the Society of Illustrators has made the hard decision to temporarily close our headquarters to the public starting thisSaturday, March 14th. We have no known cases of staff testing positive for Coronavirus at this time.
We will review our closure on a weekly basis until New York City health officials and the Centers for Disease Control announce an improvement on the situation.Next week’s events, including Sketch Night have been canceled and we will be reviewing future events on a week-by-week basis. The MoCCA Arts Festival will be rescheduled, with a date to be determined soon.
Snug Harbor Cultural Center & Botanical Garden
The safety and health of our Snug Harbor visitors and community is always our top priority. We are closely following the direction of our city and state health and elected officials in regards to monitoring and containing COVID-19.
It is with an abundance of caution that we have decided to postpone the majority of our public programming, including the Newhouse Center for Contemporary Art’s gallery hours, until March 31.
Snug Harbor’s main outdoor grounds and gardens will remain open to all. We hope that despite the disruptions to daily life that this situation presents, you will still be able to enjoy the beauty and comfort of springtime at Snug Harbor.
New York Transit Museum
In response to Governor Cuomo’s statewide ban on gatherings of more than 500 individuals, starting tomorrow, March 14th, all New York Transit Museum locations will be closed to the public until further notice.
In addition, select public and education programs, field trips, tours and excursions have been cancelled; those participants have been notified.
This decision is a proactive measure to prioritize the health and safety of our visitors and team. We will share updates when available at nytransitmuseum.org/covid19
Museum of Chinese in America
The Museum of Chinese in America has taken cautionary guidance from NYC officials to encourage social distancing by temporarily closing the Museum until further notice.
During this time, MOCA will conduct a deep clean of its space, including using hospital-grade cleaners to wipe down all surfaces, on top of our daily cleaning practice.
Needless to state, the beginning of Year of the Metal Rat has proven challenging for all. The fire at 70 Mulberry, the racism that has surfaced against Asian Americans, their businesses, and Chinatowns, and, of course, the COVID-19 pandemic and related global risks. Despite it all, we remain resilient.
MoMA
Nothing is more important to us than your health and safety, and we take seriously our responsibility as civic institutions that serve the public good. With that in mind, after consulting with public health experts and city and state officials, we have temporarily closed The Museum of Modern Art, MoMA PS1, and the MoMA Design Stores on 53rd Street and in Soho, and postponed all Museum events.
We will remain closed through March 30, and will continue to monitor developments with the novel coronavirus outbreak (COVID-19) and regularly reassess this temporary closure. There have been no confirmed cases of the coronavirus among our employees. Our goal is to do everything we can to help curb the spread of this outbreak in New York City and within our global community.
Mount Vernon Hotel Museum & Garden
In response to concerns relating to COVID-19 and the health and well-being of our community, volunteers, and staff, the Mount Vernon Hotel Museum & Garden (MVHM) will be temporarily closed to the public starting Friday, March 13th. We join many cultural institutions across the city and country who are also closing to help limit the further spread of the coronavirus. All public programs and events are cancelled until at least March 27th.
The Museum’s administrative staff will continue to monitor the situation and recommendations from public health officials. We will update the website and social media regarding our plans to reopen. We encourage you to watch for new posts and, as always, we are also available via email.
Green-Wood Cemetery
Out of an abundance of caution, Green-Wood has decided to cancel our public programs through April 15, 2020—with one exception.
We will be replacing our regularly scheduled trolley tours with FREE guided walking tours. These 90-minute strolls will introduce you to some of Green-Wood’s most notable residents and extraordinary monuments.
The tours—limited to a maximum of 25 people—will begin at our Main Entrance near the Gothic Arch and run from 1:00 to 2:30pm on the following dates: Wednesdays, March 18, 25 and April 1, 8, 15 and on Saturdays, March 14, 21, 28 and April 4, 11. To make a reservation, head to green-wood.com/calendar. If you’ve already purchased tickets for a Green-Wood event, you will receive a direct email from our team.
BAM
In an effort to mitigate the spread of COVID-19 and out of consideration for the health of our audiences, staff, and artists BAM is immediately suspending all live programming through March 29. BAM Rose Cinemas will remain open and operate at 50% capacity.
Postponed programs are as follows:
- The Old Vic’s production of Lungs
- Holly Herndon’s PROTO
- Eat, Drink & Be Literary with author Luis Alberto Urrea
- Kahlil Joseph’s BLKNWS
- BAMkids performances of Esencial
- BAMcafé Live in March
Paley Center for Media
As you are aware, the spread of the coronavirus (COVID-19) continues to remain of the utmost public concern. For several weeks now, the Paley Center has monitored the situation closely, staying in daily contact with local, state, and federal partners, as well as following the recommendations issued by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the guidelines of the local health department.
In light of the most recent news developments, and out of an abundance of caution, the Paley Center and our offices in New York and Los Angeles will be closed starting Friday, March 13 at 5 pm through Tuesday, March 31, with the possibility of a lengthier closure. While there are no cases of COVID-19 connected to the Paley Center, this action is strictly being taken as a precaution to help contain the spread of the disease, and to ensure the continued safety of our visitors and staff.
Intrepid Sea Air & Space Museum Complex
Earlier this week, I reached out to you about the steps the Intrepid Museum was taking in response to the coronavirus (COVID-19). Since, circumstances have rapidly evolved and we made the decision to close for two weeks from March 14-27 with plans to reopen, Saturday, March 28.
This decision was made out of an abundance of caution, and in adherence to state and local officials and CDC and NYC Department of Health recommendations and restrictions on social distancing as a means to protect the community from the spread of the coronavirus. There are currently no confirmed cases connected to the Museum.
The health and safety of our employees, volunteers and visitors remains our number one priority. Over the next two weeks the Museum will undergo additional deep cleaning and sanitization. We are continually checking in with all of the relevant city, state and federal agencies, and will continue to follow all CDC and NYC Department of Health mandates and guidelines. As we receive further information, we will be sure to share it with you.
fi:af (French Institute Alliance Française)
All FIAF cultural events are suspended until further notice.
Japan Day @ Central Park
In light of the ongoing situation concerning the novel coronavirus pandemic, after much consideration, we have regrettably come to the decision to postpone the Japan Day @ Central Park 2020 (Japan Day Parade and Festival) event, currently scheduled for May 10, 2020, to a later date in the year (currently anticipating the fall).
This decision was difficult to make as the situation is quite fluid; however, our main concern is the safety and wellness of our spectators & visitors, sponsors, staff, and all involved with the event. Therefore, we kindly ask you for your unequivocal understanding in this decision. We will pay special attention to this situation and will inform you with further details.
Asian American Writers’ Workshop
As a sanctuary for our collective imaginations, stories, and voices, there is nothing more important to the AAWW team than our community’s safety and well-being. Our commitment to our community is balanced with the practical realities of organizing multiple events of all sizes every month. With concerns about the Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic growing each day, we have been closely monitoring recommended protective measures from local, state, and federal public health officials, and I am writing today to share the steps we are taking in response.
We are suspending all live public programming, effective immediately through March 31. The AAWW space will also be closed to the public during this period. Please refer to the list below of postponed events. Updates about all of our events, including rescheduled dates, will be posted online at www.aaww.org.
Chelsea Opera
Due to the current COVID-19/coronavirus situation and in the interest of public health and safety, we at Chelsea Opera have determined that we should cancel our upcoming production of The Parting and The House on Kronenstrasse scheduled for March 27th & 28th, 2020. It is with heavy hearts that we have come to this decision, as we have been eagerly anticipating bringing the creative visions, music and words of Tom Cipullo, David Mason, Ben Moore, Shira Nayman, as well as all our artists and creative team to the stage and to you.
Wyckoff House Museum
Our top priority is ensuring the safety of our visitors, staff and surrounding community.
In an effort to promote ample access to fresh air, Wyckoff-Fidler Park and grounds will continue regular open hours. We hope the park provides a respite for you during these challenging times.
However, to ensure the safety of our visitors and staff and to support the City’s effort to promote social distancing, the Wyckoff House Museum is closed to the public beginning March 13 and continuing through April 2.
New York City Center
When I think of New York City Center and the city for which we are named, I think of a legacy of resilience. City Center was founded by Mayor Fiorello La Guardia in a building marked for demolition. For over 75 years, we have survived national emergencies, natural disasters, and financial crises. Through it all, we have remained true to our founding mission—to be the theater for all New Yorkers, sharing in the cathartic power of the arts to heal, to find joy, and to take comfort together in trying times.
We are living through an unprecedented moment in our history as we, our city, and the world are responding to COVID-19. As this crisis unfolds, the safety and well-being of the entire City Center community is our first priority. With a heavy heart, we have cancelled performances and events through April 5, including an Encores! production of Love Life, a show that has not been seen in New York for more than 70 years. But please know that City Center is and always will remain a home away from home for you—our artists and our audiences. Our shining jewel of a theater will open its doors again hopefully very soon. I look forward to it, and until then I wish you and all those dear to you good health, strength, and fortitude as we weather the storm.