The wave of coronavirus closures threaten not just the Met, but also other nonprofit cultural institutions in New York, even the biggest and oldest of which are not necessarily stable. In a bid to shore up revenues, the Metropolitan Museum of Art recently ended its 50-year-old pay-what-you-wish policy for out-of-state residents, and has been cutting expenses after a period of financial turbulence. The New York Philharmonic only recently ended a long streak of deficits, and is working with Lincoln Center to raise money for the renovation of its home, David Geffen Hall, which is expected to cost $550 million.

With all these organizations dependent on philanthropy, many are watching the recent downturn in the stock market warily — wondering how it will impact their donors.

The Met likely faces the loss of between $8 million and $12 million in box office revenues through the end of the month, and more if the closure continues, as many are beginning to believe it will. The company will continue paying its full-time workers — including its orchestra and chorus, scenic designers, some stage hands, dressers and others — at least through this month. Mr. Gelb said that it was unlikely that they would be paid if the closure continued longer, but said that the Met was committed to making sure that those employees continued to have health coverage.

Michael M. Kaiser, the chairman of the DeVos Institute of Arts Management at the University of Maryland, said that while small organizations faced the greatest risk from closures, large ones are vulnerable, too.