Arts workers, nonprofit leaders say more help is needed

A group of more than 100 arts workers and leaders of arts nonprofits gathered on Saturday to call for New York City to provide more relief to the sector and its workforce, Hyperallergic reports. 

Some protesters said that while the city’s new $25 million program to give artists money to create pop-up shows, murals and other projects was a good first step, more should be done to sustain funding for artists in the budget.

The calls come as New York’s arts sector inches toward recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic, with theaters and other institutions opening up. But the path to recovery will be difficult. About two-thirds of New York City’s arts, entertainment and recreation jobs were lost between December 2019 and December 2020, according to a report from the state comptroller’s office. The steepest job losses in the nonprofit sector nationwide are also found in arts, entertainment and recreation. 

Some other government initiatives have tried to support arts and cultural groups during the pandemic. New York City launched one effort that allows artists and organizations to apply for permits to hold performances and other work on public city streets. And the federal government has created a program specifically for museums, theaters and other venues, though those funds have taken months to reach applicants, who are expected to get those dollars at earliest by the end of May.