See which NY theaters, museums, arts venues landed $1.2 billion in federal Covid relief grants

Austin Allyn Theatre

The Austin Allyn Theatre is shown inside the Redhouse Arts Center at 400 South Salina Street, Syracuse, NY. The arts organization received a $1 million Covid relief grant from the federal government. Scott Schild | sschild@syracuse.com

Theater, performing arts and entertainment venues in Central New York have received more than $13 million in federal grants under a program to help live venue operators shuttered during the Covid-19 pandemic.

The recipients include some of the biggest names on the Central New York arts and entertainment scene – the Landmark Theater, the Redhouse Arts Center, the Museum of Science and Technology and Syracuse Opera Company.

The list also includes lesser-known live entertainment venues, including the operator of an immersive theater at Destiny USA, and Wunderbar, a nightclub and theater in Syracuse.

All told, some two dozen live entertainment venues and independent movie theaters in Central New York were approved for Covid relief aid from the shuttered venue grant program, according to data from the U.S. Small Business Administration.

Congress established a $16 billion fund in a Covid relief package signed into law in December to help keep theaters, performing arts centers, music clubs, promoters and related live-entertainment businesses running during the pandemic.

New York venues received 1,142 grants totaling almost $1.2 billion through Monday, the largest number of grants and the most money given to any state in the nation, according to data provided by the SBA.

U.S. Sen. Charles Schumer, D-N.Y., the Senate majority leader, proposed the grant program last year, citing the pandemic’s heavy toll on live entertainment venues, especially shuttered Broadway theaters in New York City.

Unlike restaurants, which received federal aid under a separate Covid-19 relief bill passed by Congress, most live entertainment venues could not stay open during the pandemic.

Theaters, museums, concert halls and other live venues were forced to close because of state rules limiting the size of gatherings and prohibiting live performances paid for through tickets or cover charges.

Each affected theater or entertainment venue is eligible for federal grants of up to 45 percent of gross revenue from 2019, with a maximum award of $10 million per grant, according to SBA rules.

The aid for arts and entertainment venues gave priority to those organizations most in need. That did not happen when federal aid for restaurants was distributed.

The SBA gave first priority for its arts and entertainment grants to applicants who lost 90 percent or more of their gross revenue between April and December 2020 due to the Covid pandemic.

A second group of grants over the next 14 days were given to organizations that lost 70 percent of more of their gross revenue during the same period.

The SBA is now considering grants for a third priority group – live entertainment businesses that lost 25 percent or more of their gross revenue between one quarter in 2019 and a corresponding quarter in 2020.

All told, the SBA has approved $7.6 billion to 9,844 applicants nationwide, an SBA spokesman said today. About $6.3 billion has been disbursed. The average grant is for $769,000.

In New York state, some of the state’s best-known arts and entertainment institutions qualified for the largest grant award of $10 million.

Recipients of the maximum grant include the American Museum of Natural History, the Alvin Ailey Dance Foundation, Metropolitan Museum of Art, Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts and the Metropolitan Opera in New York City.

In Upstate New York, institutions that received large grants include the Corning Museum of Glass ($5.5 million), National Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown ($4.7 million), and Shea’s Performing Arts Center in Buffalo ($10 million).

The big winners in Central New York include the Famous Artists Series ($2 million), Redhouse Arts Center ($1 million), Merry-Go-Round Playhouse in Auburn ($940,000) and Creative Concerts ($845,000).

Among the smaller grant recipients was Escape the Estate, the operator of Museum of Intrigue at Destiny USA, a fusion of immersive theater and interactive gaming. The company received a grant for $198,929.

“It is completely a lifesaver,” said Nicole Ginsburg, a company partner and vice president of business development.

Seven separate grants totaling more than $3 million were awarded to independent movie theaters listing the same Fayetteville address.

Zachary Zurich told Syracuse.com that he and a group of family members own the independent movie theaters, including the Hollywood Theater in Mattydale, scattered across Upstate New York.

We want to hear your story. Did your arts organization or entertainment venue receive a federal grant or miss out? Contact Mark Weiner at mweiner@syracuse.com or 315-440-1163.

See grants for U.S., Any State or CNY

This is a database of 9,844 grants awarded by the U.S. Small Business Administration. You can search by picking New York or any state and you can see all the grants in that state. Or you can pick a city. You also can search by ZIP code or the business name.

Note: The SBA lists some business not by the location of the venue, but by the location of the business.

Got a tip, comment or story idea? Contact Mark Weiner anytime by: Email | Twitter | Facebook | 571-970-3751

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