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."

The kickoff event on 2/20 features Jon Batiste, Anthony Roth Costanzo, Cecile McLorin Salvant, and Ayodele Casel playing a tribute to health care workers that will start outside the Javits Center and move to other locations throughout the day.

NY PopsUp will also help the Tribeca Film Festival celebrate its 20th anniversary (June 9 through 20), and the conclude with The Festival at Little Island (August 11 – September 5) which happens at Little Island, the "soon-to-open, first-of-its-kind public park on the Hudson River that merges nature and art." The festival will feature 325 performances by approximately 500 artists.

Among the events announced as part of NY Pops UP: Patti Smith will perform at Brooklyn Museum in remembrance of the passing of Robert Mapplethorpe, and musician and former "Live from Here" host Chris Thile will launch a new radio show that will be "broadcast from stoops all over New York State, from Brooklyn and the East Village to the steps of Albany's Empire State Plaza across from the Capitol building." Dates and details are still TBA.

Other Artists confirmed to be participating in NY PopsUp include Hugh Jackman, Renée Fleming, Amy Schumer, Alec Baldwin, Chris Rock, Matthew Broderick, Sarah Jessica Parker, Nico Muhly, John Early and Kate Berlant, Mandy Patinkin, Kenan Thompson, Q-Tip, Billy Porter, Rhiannon Giddens, Aparna Nancherla, Jonathan Groff, Savion Glover, Dev Hynes, Phoebe Robinson, and Sutton Foster.

You can read more about NY Pops Up here.

Meanwhile: NYC mayor Bill de Blasio announced the Open Culture and Curtains Up NYC programs today, both aimed at assisting NYC venues.