New York governor Andrew Cuomo has detailed NY PopsUp, "a nation-leading initiative to accelerate the revival of the arts: the creative energy that defines NY," that will feature over 300 pop-up arts events across New York state, beginning February 20 and running through Labor Day. NY PopsUp is further described as a “pilot program” that will create "the state’s first large-scale model for how to bring live performance back safely after this prolonged COVID-related shutdown.”
"Cities have taken a real blow during COVID, and the economy will not come back fast enough on its own - we must bring it back," Governor Cuomo said in a statement. "Creative synergies are vital for cities to survive, and our arts and cultural industries have been shut down all across the country, taking a terrible toll on workers and the economy. We want to be aggressive with reopening the State and getting our economy back on track, and NY PopsUp will be an important bridge to the broader reopening of our world-class performance venues and institutions. New York has been a leader throughout this entire pandemic, and we will lead once again with bringing back the arts."