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They will be the first to absorb the economic blows.
This is especially ominous for New York, a city that pummels the most optimistic spirits.
Arts organizations, too, are fragile in the best of times.
Small groups string quartets, neighborhood dance schools, shoestring theater companies operate on the thinnest of margins.
Some will likely disappear.
Even titans like the Metropolitan Opera will totter.
Audiences who are kept away for an extended period lose the habit and may not come back.
All this pain is necessary right now, but at least we can spread it around.
The future can be preserved.
Most immediately, patrons accustomed to supporting thriving companies will need to come up with more.
Organizations can help their audiences help out.
And when its time to reopen, they may find themselves with a newly vibrant revenue stream.
They keep the city humming, draw tourists and business, and provide a haven for nonconformists.
