Senate Announces Virtual Roundtable On The Impact Of COVID-19 On New York’s Cultural Community

(Albany, NY) The Senate today announced that it will hold a virtual roundtable about the impact of COVID-19 on the arts and cultural communities in New York. Senator José Serrano, Chair of the Senate Committee on Cultural Affairs, Tourism, Parks and Recreation, will lead this public meeting to gather input about the contributions of arts and cultural organizations to New York’s economy and how those contributions have been affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.

“New York's myriad of artistic and cultural offerings are major contributors to our economy and are one of the foundations for our identity as the Empire State,” Senate Majority Leader Andrea-Stewart-Cousins said. “I thank Senator Serrano for organizing this roundtable and for his leadership on this critical issue. These important discussions and insights from experts and stakeholders will help state government better understand the effect the pandemic is having on our arts and cultural events, and will help us support these vital parts of New York’s identity and economy.”

“The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic has been painfully felt across every industry in New York State, but the arts and cultural sector has been especially hard hit,” said Chair of the Senate Standing Committee on Cultural Affairs, Tourism, Parks and Recreation José Serrano. “Not only does this industry serve as a major economic engine and job producer, but the arts are transformative, uplifting and educating, while building cultural bridges for all New Yorkers. My sincere thanks to Senate Majority Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins for lending her voice to this important discussion on the effect of COVID-19 on our artistic and cultural communities.”

The virtual roundtable is scheduled for Wednesday, October 21, 2020 at 10:00 AM. The roundtable is a public meeting, but participation in the discussion is by invitation only. Anyone wishing to submit written statements or comments on the subject should send them to serrano@nysenate.gov, the submission deadline for written statements is November 11, 2020.

A webcast of the roundtable will be available on the New York Senate’s website