“Creative synergies are vital for the survival of cities, and our artistic and cultural industries have been closed across the country, causing a terrible impact on workers and the economy,” said Cuomo in a statement. “We want to be aggressive about reopening the state and get our economy back on track, and NY PopsUp will be an important bridge for the wider reopening of our world-class venues and performance institutions. New York has been a leader in this entire pandemic, and we will lead again with bringing the arts back. ”
NY PopsUp programming will be curated by the interdisciplinary artist Zack Winokur, in partnership with a board of artistic consultants who represent the diversity of New York’s dynamic performing arts scene. The hundreds of free pop-up events that make up NY PopsUp will transform New York’s existing landscapes on stages, including iconic transit stations, parks, subway platforms, museums, skate parks, street corners, fire escapes, parking lots, local storefronts and state interiors.
On the opening day, members of the artists’ council will give a presentation at the Javits Center as a special tribute to health professionals, presenting artists as Jon Batiste, Anthony Roth Costanzo, Cecile McLorin Salvant, Ayodele Casel and additional special guests. Throughout the day, artists will travel around New York City, meeting audiences in various locations, including the footprints of the Flushing Post Office, Elmhurst Hospital and St. Barnabas Hospital.
On February 21, choreographer Garth FaganThe company will lead a special presentation at MAGIC Spell Studios at the Rochester Institute of Technology as a tribute to the team that made it possible for RIT to remain open and safe during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Patti Smith will also perform at the Brooklyn Museum in memory of the artist’s passing Robert Mapplethorpe, While Chris Thile will present a new live radio program broadcast from porches across the state of New York, from Brooklyn and East Village to the steps of Albany’s Empire State Plaza in front of the Capitol building.
The events will conclude with the 20th anniversary of the Tribeca Film Festival and The Festival at Little Island at Pier 55, bringing the total number of performances to over 1,000. Other artists confirmed for the various events include Hugh Jackman, Renée Fleming, Amy Schumer, Alec Baldwin, Chris Rock, Matthew Broderick, Sarah Jessica Parker, Q-Tip, Billy Porter, Aparna Nancherla, Dev Hynes, Jonathan Groff, Phoebe Robinson, Danielle Brooks, Idina Menzel and more.
The model that NY PopsUp builds for safe live events will pave the way for the reopening of flexible multidisciplinary venues (“flex venues”) across New York State to participate in the festival. These will be the first indoor presentations since the pandemic began and will mark an important moment in New York’s recovery efforts. The events will be a key step in the long process of getting tens of thousands of arts professionals in New York State back to work. These Flex Venues are performance spaces established without fixed seats, allowing them to be adapted for social distance. Examples of such venues include The SHED, The Apollo, Harlem Stage, La MaMa and The Glimmerglass Festival’s Alice Busch Opera Theater. All internal events will strictly follow the Department of Health’s public health and safety guidelines.
More details about NY PopsUp will be announced shortly. Given the improvised nature and the surprise element of the pop-up format, not all presentations will be announced in advance.