JANUARY 2 0 2 1 I BOROMAG.COM 21
BY ANGÉLICA ACEVEDO For many business owners and
community members, Open
Streets and Open Restaurants
became lifelines amid the COVID
19 pandemic. Now, Open
Culture will allow artists to turn
streets into their stages.
Councilman Jimmy Van Bramer introduced
the bill back in August, and on
Thursday, Dec. 10, City Council passed
the legislation. Since March, cultural institutions,
performance venues and artists
across the city have not only been
forced to stay closed due to COVID-19
health restrictions, but have also received
little aid.
With the passage of the legislation,
artist and cultural organizations funded
by the Department of Cultural Affairs
and Borough Arts Council can apply for
expedited permits in the Open Streets
programs and approved public spaces,
while other artists can partner with eligible
organizations for permits. This will
create an opportunity for cultural organizations
to collect much-needed revenue.
Participation in the Open Culture program
— which will be administered by
the Mayor’s Office of Citywide Event
Coordination and Management in consultation
with the Department of Transportation
— will be free, with numerous
fees waived and lowered to a maximum
charge to $20.
The program would take place from
March 1, 2021, to Oct. 31, 2021.
“Arts and culture are the lifeblood of
our city. With the new Open Culture
program, artists and art groups can start
staging performances — and charge
for them — starting March 1,” said Van
Bramer. “There will be dancing, singing
and comedy on the streets bringing
joy and jobs to thousands. This new law
will be a dynamic and transformative
program for our cultural community
and will create a dynamic open space
use — a true win-win.”
While New York state COVID guidelines
allowed for some low-risk indoor
arts and entertainment facilities, such as
museums and aquariums, to operate at
a certain capacity, other performing arts
organizations and businesses considered
higher risk, such as theaters and
concerts, are not allowed to reopen.
Some have had to permanently close
due to the financial strain of paying
bills while not collecting any revenue,
including the Secret Theatre and comedy
club The Creek & The Cave in Long
Island City.
A report by the Center for an Urban
Future, “The Changing Face of Creativity
in New York: Sustaining NYC’s
Immigrant Arts Ecosystem,” found immigrants
now account for nearly a third
of all artists in the city. However, their
report also found that many immigrantled
and immigrant-serving arts organizations,
which were already vulnerable
to financial hardships, now face fiscal
catastrophe and have reported revenue
losses that amount to 50 percent or
more of their annual budgets.
Karesia Batan, executive director of
the Queensboro Dance Festival, believes
the new program is an important
step forward.
“This Open Culture bill will truly be a
lifeline to the over 200 dance groups
and independent artists we support,
who all still need to work and create
in our Queens neighborhoods,” said
Batan. “We have a crucial, basic need
for space for dancers to keep NYC arts
vibrant and give dancers a chance to
generate livable income.”
Taryn Sacramone, executive director
of the Queens Theatre, echoed Batan’s
sentiments.
“Open Culture will provide much
needed opportunities for artists to perform,
turn new spaces into stages, and
bring shared experiences to all neighborhoods
in the city,” Sacramone said.
“Arts organizations can start planning
now to bring joy, beauty and unforgettable
performances outside.”
Photo courtesy of Flushing Town Hall
ARTS + ENTERTAINMENT
Open Culture
City Council passes Queens lawmaker’s bill to bring arts and culture to the streets
/BOROMAG.COM
