In the midst of a lot of other news in his first 8 days in office….funding for child care for all, reactions to tragedy, responding to threats from the federal government, and more, new New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani made ‘arts for all’ a priority. 

On Friday, he joined with the producers of the Under the Radar theater festival to announce a free ticket giveaway of 1500 tickets to shows.

While he hasn’t yet called me about my suggestion to create an Arts Impact Statement policy for the city (I’m ready!), Mayor Mamdani is highlighting the role arts and artists play in the lives of all who call New York City home. And building understanding of the way that arts connect us and create the places we all want to be. He says, “..we are going to spend our time, our agenda, and the time that we have in office in doing everything we can to bring arts back to New Yorkers all across the five boroughs.”

In a week of much to cry about, this Mayor is giving us a lot to celebrate. Seriously, so happy to be one of the people who, as he says, calls New York City home.

“When I speak about making our city more affordable, my vision is not limited to the homes that we live in or the child care that we’re making universal. It’s also a vision where we make it possible for working people to afford lives of joy, of art, of rest, of expression….

And this giveaway is a reminder that art is a form of connection in a city that is both desperate for it and dependent on it. The shared laughter in a crowded theater, the eager debrief after a musical, the heavy silence that hangs over all of us in a drama. These are moments that every New Yorker deserves….

This is just one example of an agenda and an approach that we are going to take to ensure that arts are not simply thought of as a luxury for the wealthy or a treat for the tourists. Arts have to be something that are infused into the lives of everyday New Yorkers.…And so we are going to spend our time, our agenda, and the time that we have in office in doing everything we can to bring arts back to New Yorkers all across the five boroughs.”

Note: Producers of Under the Radar shows volunteered to offer free tickets. The city is not paying for the tickets; the festival website reads: “Under the Radar believes in Mayor Zohran Mamdani‘s vision for an affordable NYC for all. In solidarity with the city of New York and our extraordinary community of partner venues, we are proud to be able to offer free tickets for many of our performances to the general public.” 

As of this writing, you can still reserve free tickets here.

^{_{Credit: Ed Reed/Mayor Mamdani Photography Office}}