Culture and the arts are the lifeblood of New York, as they are for many cities. Cultural institutions are essential to our social connectivity, the energy and pulse of a city, even our mental health. When they were forced to shut their physical doors this spring, many of them pivoted and began driving virtual engagement through livestreams and other innovative online programming. What they found surprised some — record audiences, new ones gained, archived content viewed by tens of millions.

As the city’s museums reopen to our collective joy, it will be with new ways of experiencing their collections and spaces, offering a glimpse at how other institutions will be reimagining their own experiences. How have NYC’s cultural institutions adapted to the pandemic? What infrastructure changes can we expect to emerge? And what has this crisis taught us about delivering cultural experiences in new ways that might transcend crisis?