Keeping up with Arts & Culture during COVID-19

“Bringing people together, inspiring, soothing and sharing: these are the powers of art, the importance of which has been made emphatically obvious during the COVID-19 pandemic.”

–Audrey Azoulay, Director General of the U.N. Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO)

In a time of confusion and monotony, art and culture are where we turn to calm our nerves and learn more about the world. In many ways, COVID-19 has taken this option from us, but Anchin Private Client wants to help you explore several ways you can continue to enjoy art and culture while staying safe at home.

The Big Apple

New York City is one of the epicenters of art and culture worldwide, and despite being one of the most impacted areas in the world, art and culture are still flourishing.

• Our world-famous museums have largely converted to online collections and galleries, and many of them are also running at-home programs to get you involved in making art in your own home.
  • The Whitney is screening video works by emerging artists every Friday, offering online art history talks from their teaching fellows, and more.
  • The Metropolitan Museum of Art utilized 360-degree technology to make the at-home experience that much more realistic.
• The performance arts are one of the most hard-hit sectors, unable to sell tickets to their shows. Nonetheless, they are still offering the opportunity to purchase tickets for their digital seasons, and more.
  • The Broadway Living Room Concerts series brings you live songs from Broadway stars straight to your device. You can also stream full-length Broadway productions on demand with BroadwayHD.
  • Live with Carnegie Hall features world-famous artists as they share behind-the-scenes stories, performance excerpts, and live music.
  • The NYC Ballet is not only offering a digital season, but is also creating a podcast and livestream movement classes for all ages.
• Michelin Star restaurants and luxury food services have found ways to bring their unique culinary experiences to you.
  • Restaurants like L’Atelier, Carbone, Cosme, Cote, Di An Di, and more are offering delivery through services like Caviar and Grubhub
  • Food service programs like Culinistas bring luxury food preparation to you, allowing you to hire private chefs to cook fresh for you.
  • Luxury food providers like Regalis Foods are, for the first time, selling direct to consumers.
  • Companies like Perfect Picnic will set up beautiful picnics for you in beautiful areas around New York City- and clean up for you after you leave!

Around the World

Travel may be restricted, but companies and institutions are working hard to bring your travel experiences to life on your screen.

• Google Arts and Culture is a free program that allows you to experience the world at home. Through partnerships with thousands of cultural institutions, historical sights, and more, you can have virtual experiences ranging from visiting Anne Frank’s home to going skydiving!
• Other world-famous sights like the Great Wall of China, the Eiffel Tower, Stonehenge, La Sagrada Familia, and even Machu Picchu have create virtual reality experiences for digital visitors.
• World-renowned museums like the Louvre in France and the Tate Modern in the U.K. have created online galleries and more.
  • The Mona Lisa VR Experience brings the story of Da Vinci’s Mona Lisa to life.

For the Kids in your life

Homeschooling is hard enough, so you may want to use these resources to make the field tripping from home experience that much more seamless!

• Disney World may be closed, but you can still have the Disney experience at home with the Disney Magic Moments website, which allows you to explore stories, videos, and activities. The Virtual Disney World YouTube channel features VR ride experiences to simulate the ones in their parks.
• Lots of museums and performance art centers are creating kid-inspired content to help your children during these trying times.
  • The Whitney is sharing art projects for you and your children to complete together, while the Met has created programs for kids to tour the museum and create artwork of their own.
  • The Museum of Natural History even sponsors weekly art contests for kids called the Ology Challenge.
  • The Museum of Natural History and Carnegie Hall have created child-focused curriculums to help them learn more about history and music.
  • The New York Public Library hosts virtual story times where NYPL librarians read beloved books, sing songs, and even share early literacy tips.

While nothing will quite compare to a unique, in-person experience, there are digital resources available to you during these difficult times. We at Anchin Private Client hope that this inspires you to take a break for a quick escape, albeit virtually.