PR-2020-07-09 VirtualNYC Release - July 2020

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE : July 9, 2020

Contact: publicaffairs@culture.nyc.gov

NYC DEPARTMENT OF CULTURAL AFFAIRS, MAYOR’S OFFICE OF MEDIA AND ENTERTAINMENT, AND NYC & COMPANY LAUNCH “VIRTUAL NYC CURATOR COLLECTIONS”

Cultural leaders from across the five boroughs recommend the best in online experiences

NEW YORK, NY – The NYC Department of Cultural Affairs, Mayor's Office of Media and Entertainment, and NYC & Company today announced the launch of Virtual NYC Curator Collections, a new series of guest curators selecting their favorites from hundreds of cultural experiences currently available online.

With the debut of Virtual NYC Curator Collections, New Yorkers now have expert guides to help them discover new online experiences. Each curator recommendation will include links, descriptions, images, and the reason the curator chose these specific virtual experiences.

This new series builds upon NYC & Company’s popular Virtual NYC, which launched this March to help people around the world enjoy the rich online culture that is being produced in New York City during the era of social distancing. Virtual NYC includes recorded performances, digitized exhibitions, social media gatherings, and virtual tours from museums, galleries, comedy clubs, theaters and other venues around the city.

The feature is launching with five inaugural curators, and new collections will be added on an ongoing basis. The current line-up includes Thelma Golden (The Studio Museum in Harlem), David Hatkoff (NewFest), Erika Elliot (Summerstage), Gina Duncan (BAM Cinema) and Andrea Bayer (Metropolitan Museum of Art). Collections from Esther McGowan (Visual AIDS), Eric Sanderson (Wildlife Conservation Society), Suzanne Nossel (PEN America), Kamilah Forbes (Apollo Theater) and others will debut in the weeks ahead.

Virtual NYC Curator Collections can be found at https://www.nycgo.com/virtual-nyc/curator-collections/ .

“Even during this unprecedented public health crisis, New York’s extraordinary cultural community has never really closed,” said Cultural Affairs Commissioner Gonzalo Casals. “Through Virtual NYC Curator Collections, we’re thrilled to partner with the Mayor’s Office of Media and Entertainment and NYC & Company to invite leaders from the cultural community to spotlight some of the diverse, innovative programming that organizations are bringing to audiences digitally.”

“NYC’s unparalleled creativity and culture continue to inspire and engage audiences the world over even in these most challenging of circumstances,” said the Commissioner of the NYC Mayor’s Office of Media and Entertainment, Anne del Castillo. “We’re proud to partner with the Department of Cultural Affairs and NYC & Company to present Virtual NYC Curator Collections to spotlight our local influencers and connect the world to the diverse range of cultural experiences the city has to offer.”

“We are excited to take our Virtual NYC program a step further with ‘Virtual NYC Curator Collections,’ in partnership with experts from the City’s celebrated cultural organizations, and our colleagues from the Mayor’s Office of Media and Entertainment and Department of Cultural Affairs,” said Fred Dixon, President and CEO of NYC & Company. “We’ve created this initiative to encourage the world to stay engaged with NYC’s virtual offerings—recommended by the industry’s esteemed content curators—until the time when these organizations can safely welcome visitors in-person once again.”

About NYC Department of Cultural Affairs

The New York City Department of Cultural Affairs (DCLA) is dedicated to supporting and strengthening New York City’s vibrant cultural life. DCLA works to promote and advocate for quality arts programming and to articulate the contribution made by the cultural community to the City’s vitality. The Department represents and serves non-profit cultural organizations involved in the visual, literary, and performing arts; public-oriented science and humanities institutions including zoos, botanical gardens, and historic and preservation societies; and creative artists at all skill levels who live and work within the City’s five boroughs. DCLA also provides donated materials for arts programs offered by the public schools and cultural and social service groups, and commissions permanent works of public art at City-funded construction projects throughout the five boroughs. For more information, visit www.nyc.gov/culture .

About NYC & Company

NYC & Company is the official destination marketing organization and convention and visitors bureau for the City of New York, dedicated to maximizing travel and tourism opportunities throughout the five boroughs, building economic prosperity and spreading the positive image of New York City worldwide. For all there is to do and see in New York City, visit nycgo.com .

About the Mayor’s Office of Media and Entertainment

The mission of the Mayor's Office of Media and Entertainment (MOME) is to ensure New York City continues to be the creative capital of the world by supporting film, television, theater, music, publishing, advertising and digital content and ensuring those industries work for New Yorkers. The creative industries account for more than 300,000 local jobs and have an economic impact of $104 billion annually. MOME comprises four divisions: The Office of Film, Theatre and Broadcasting; NYC Media; the Office of Nightlife; and educational and workforce development initiatives.

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