I’m from Buffalo, New York, and I grew up visiting the Albright-Knox Art Gallery. My family lived nearby and I went to high school just a few blocks away. The Albright-Knox is where I came to understand art. No institution had a greater impact on my early art education.
Like all city residents, I knew there was no admission charge, just a plexiglass box into which you could stuff your donation. In my case, that was often small change or nothing.
In late 2019, the gallery started a massive expansion and renovation. Investor Jeffrey Gundlach gave $42.5 million. NYS ponied up another $20 million and the rest of the $125 million tab was expected to be met by ‘businesses, foundations, government groups, and individuals.’ It’s a beloved Buffalo institution, so I’m not surprised at the community support. The museum was also rebranded as Buffalo AKG Art Museum to reflect Mr. Gundlach’s contribution.
My brother-in-law took his grandchild there last week. “It cost me $20 with my senior discount, $10 for Nora, and $12 to park,” he said. He can afford that, but a lot of Buffalonians can’t. The community ponied up all that money to make art inaccessible to any but its wealthier citizens.
The last reported salary for its director, Janne Siren, was $468,609 (2023). This is in a city whose median household income at the 2020 census was $24,536. (And, for the record, employees of the gallery voted to unionize in January, 2024, citing unfair labor practices.)
Why are museums so darned expensive?
The fees my brother-in-law paid are not, sadly, outrageous for American fine art museums. The MFA Boston is now $27 for an adult ticket, MoMA is $30, the Metropolitan Museum of Art (which has one of the nation’s largest endowment funds) is $30 and the Art Institute of Chicago is $32. I looked this up because my kids wanted to go to the MFA last weekend, but couldn’t afford it. Instead, they went to a nearby college gallery. “I saw a few cool things and I can still buy a house,” my daughter said.
Arts access is important
School groups will still visit the gallery in their strictly-monitored tours, but gone are the days when we could just wander at will to visit our favorite paintings. For my parents and my siblings, an afternoon at the gallery would now cost $104 plus parking.
This is happening at a time when the broader culture is reducing arts education. That makes unfettered access to art even more important.
For kids, art helps develop imagination and cognitive, communication and problem-solving skills. It helps all of us reduce stress. It should not be only for rich people.
Community identity
The old Albright-Knox was a great example of how the public loved and cared for museums, and how museums enhanced our quality of life. It was built for the 1901 Pan-American Exhibition, along with its neighbor, the Buffalo History Museum (which is still pay-as-you-wish). They both face Olmstead-designed Delaware Park with its sparkling artificial lake. This whole complex was a source of great civic pride in my youth. But, honestly, why would a young Buffalonian care if they can’t afford to go inside?
My 2024 workshops:
- Art and Adventure at Sea: Paint Aboard Schooner American Eagle, September 15-19, 2024.
- Immersive In-Person Workshop: Rockport, ME, October 7-11, 2024.
Should I win the lottery I’ll open my own and hang your work along with my other favorite contemporary artists.
Should I win the lottery, I will give to you so you can do just that! As I travel, I am so pleased to find so many small studios and galleries with talented local artists that rival the “big guys” Some day YOU two will be history!
Come visit Cleveland — General admission is always free!
I find that the best “deal” is to buy a single membership to museums I visit frequently — Chicago (AIC). What really gets me? Students & Teens (14-17) $26 (how about free!)
You’re absolutely right, art should be accessible to all!
In Adelaide, South Australia,. where I am from, the Art Gallery of SA is still free – but for how long?
Recently the gallery wanted to start charging fees for guided tours, which were provided by VOLUNTEER, trained art lovers; the guides rebelled, they understood the importance of their work and access to art!
Keep up the battle against monetizing art.
Bill
When an artist creates a piece of art isn’t it for public display? To relegate it’s display to only the affluent seems to contradict the meaning or intent of the artist to dialogue with all others at all class levels, especially families and children.
If you look at the Museum’s web site it says students can be members for $30 a year and an individual adult for$65. This provides free admission for a year. I think the fees are designed for people who are visiting or only come occasionally. Regular users should become members.
Paying an art director a half million salary is ridiculous just as is charging 20-30 admission. Fee. Art museums should be free like our public libraries are.
On a positive note, the George Eastman House Museum in Rochester gives free admission to anyone with WIC card and whoever is with them. Maybe art museums should follow suit. It would at least be a start!
I think it’s also worthwhile to speak to the myriad of ways to visit museums at reduced or free costs. This is definitely not a list of all the ways to lessen the cost of admission, but it’ll get you started.
1) Check with your local public library to see what museum passes they offer. Most libraries have a sign up system in place so you can reserve the pass for a specific day/time. That’s helpful for popular passes like the MFA, but sometimes if I have a last minute free day, I’ll look in the morning and see what passes are still available for that day and check one out. Some museums are entirely free, and others offer a hefty discount towards admission. For example, with the library pass, I can visit the MFA for $10 per adult. Museum passes are usually provided by the Friends of the Library with dollars they’ve raised during book sales, or by the t-shirts and tote bags for sale at the library. They’re a great group and always looking for more volunteers. If there’s a museum you’d like to visit that’s not on your library’s current rotation, speak up – passes are chosen to be inclusive and new additions are frequently made to the list offered. The library wants them to be well used and well enjoyed.
2) Museums for All https://museums4all.org/ Designed to provide free or reduced price admissions for anyone receiving SNAP benefits. Over 1300 museums participate in this program. Full list of included museums: https://museums4all.org/participating-museums/
3) Check to see if any of your personal/professional affiliations have museum discounts. AAA offers discounted admission for some museums, details are on their web pages. Some companies also offer discounts on museum admissions to their employees.
4) Reach out to the museums themselves and ask what programs are available for reduced admission. There’s a trend by some museums that favors a “pay what you can” or “by donation” system. The Fuller Craft Museum in Brockton, MA is one example. Admission is free, but they have a suggested donation amount and they’ve found it’s a great way to be welcoming to everyone regardless of financial circumstances.
5) Museums frequently have free admission on certain days/times. The MFA is free every Wednesday after 5pm. That’s not going to help a random tourist who wants to go on Saturday afternoon, or people who work late on Wednesdays, but it does provide an opportunity to visit for free.
6) Museum memberships are a great way to save on costs for a museum that you want to visit frequently. I’ve done this in the past for museums like the PMA, Farnsworth and Currier. They make great gifts and at least a portion of the membership is tax deductible if you itemize.
7) Membership in the North American Reciprocal Museum Association is a higher cost item, but if you’re looking for a great gift to go in on with a few other people for your favorite museum aficionado, it’s definitely worth considering. It’s also tax deductible. https://narmassociation.org/ You sign up with your favorite art institution, and get access to over 1380 museums, across the US, Canada, Mexico, plus a few other areas.
8) It’s not the same as seeing art in person, but many institutions have their full collection on view online and many offer Zoom programs and/or have a vibrant YouTube channel of their programming. Zoom programs are often free or pay what you can and it’s a great way to get additional context for the exhbits.
Haves. Have nots. Have yachts.
The Met must have cost almost nothing when I was in high school, or I could not have gone there when visiting my sister in NYC. What is this world coming to?
Mark