Governor Cuomo was not the only elected official announcing initiatives for the arts today. NYC mayor Bill de Blasio announced a program called Open Culture that "will permit outdoor cultural performances on designated city streets this spring," providing stages for artists and cultural groups in all five boroughs, "putting artists back to work and providing New Yorkers the opportunity to enjoy the arts safely in their neighborhoods."

Beginning March 1, venues and institutions can apply for permits for "socially distanced performances at over 100 street locations throughout all five boroughs." Guidelines are here and it sounds like it will last longer than just the spring, as applications will open to eligible organizations from March 1, 2021 through October 31, 2021.

“From Open Streets, to Open Restaurants, to Open Culture, New York City has found creative and sustainable ways to connect New Yorkers to their neighborhoods while staying safe from COVID-19," de Blasio said in a statement. "I’m honored to support the cultural institutions who make our city great, and I can’t wait to see our creative community in action.”

The mayor also announced Curtains Up NYC, a "program to provide application assistance to live-performance venues, organizations and workers applying for federal relief." The program specifically is designed to help NYC venues get funds from the federal Shuttered Venue Operators Grant (SVO), aka Save Our Stages.

“New York City’s live performance venues, theaters, and night clubs are the best in the world, and they’ve been hit hard by this pandemic. Their city will help them fight for every federal dollar they deserve to get back on their feet and better than ever,” the mayor said. “I urge every venue to take advantage of these resources, and I can’t wait to take in a performance as soon as we defeat COVID-19 once and for all.” Learn more about Curtains UP NYC here.

You can watch De Blasio's press conference from this morning, below.