Although the pandemic has shut down many of New York’s cultural traditions this winter season, these four institutions have found a way to make their winter shows and exhibits safe and accessible.
Gallery view of About Time: Fashion and Duration
The Met has reopened its doors in celebration of its 150th anniversary. A visit to the museum now requires a ticket and reservation in order to stay at 25% capacity. This year’s Met Gala would have celebrated The Costume Institute's "About Time: Fashion and Duration" exhibit tracing the past 150 years of fashion. The show runs until Feb. 7. The museum has also curated "Making The Met," an exhibit running until Jan. 3 that allows visitors to explore the most influential archived pieces The Met has collected throughout the years. 1000 Fifth Ave.
A dress from Viktor & Rolf’s spring/summer 2020 haute couture collection
The Metropolitan Opera has found a way to bring the opera experience home. Although the 2020-2021 live season has been canceled, the Met Opera offers a free Opera Stream program that will run seven days a week until the end of the closure. Each day a new performance from the archives of the Live in HD series is uploaded and is available from 7:30PM to 6:30PM the next day when a new performance is uploaded. The program allows viewers to experience over 20 years of performances by the biggest names that have passed through the Met Opera stage. The opera is also offering a ticketed Met Stars Live in Concert streaming experience, where viewers can pay to watch live performances from all over the globe of some of the most influential names in opera. For season ticket holders, the Met Opera has offered full refunds and is asking those who can afford it to donate the price of their tickets to help keep the opera alive.
As safe, in-person performances are nearly impossible to pull off, the New York Philharmonic had to get creative. The NY Phil Plays On allows fans to stream performances from the stage that are both live and previously recorded, all for free. The portal is frequently updated with new performances to keep viewers connected to the music. It also teamed up with Pulitzer Prize winner Ellen Reid to create an immersive and interactive soundscape via an app called Ellen Reid SOUNDWALK, which takes listeners on a walk around Central Park with a curated playlist that harmonizes with and captures the essence of each part of the journey.
Carnegie Hall has also taken many steps to adapt its thrilling live shows into something that is accessible to everyone from the comfort of their homes this season. In response to the live 2020-2021 season being canceled due to the pandemic, Carnegie Hall has created the Live with Carnegie Hall series, which is available to stream for free on its website, Facebook page and YouTube channel. This series not only includes live at-home performances from musicians, but also includes interviews and videos of their past performances at Carnegie Hall. A host of diverse, talented musicians are featured in the series from many different genres of music such as pop, jazz, orchestral, chamber and so many more—there’s something for everyone. Carnegie Hall has also curated playlists based on this season’s digital performances and the performing artists’ personal musical tastes, available now on both Spotify and Apple Music, so fans can enjoy the beauty of classical music whenever they desire.
Photography by: Courtesy of the Metropolitan Museum of Art
