Why We Should Keep Art Museums Free
Art museums serve as cultural and educational hubs, offering a wealth of knowledge and inspiration to the public. Keeping art museums free is essential for several reasons:
1. Accessibility and Inclusivity
Breaking Down Barriers: Free admission ensures that everyone, regardless of their financial situation, can access and enjoy art. This inclusivity fosters a more diverse audience and encourages a broader appreciation of cultural heritage.
Educational Opportunities: Schools, families, and individuals can visit museums without worrying about the cost, making it easier to incorporate museum visits into educational curricula and personal learning experiences.
2. Cultural Enrichment
Community Engagement: Free museums become vibrant community spaces where people can gather, learn, and engage with art. This engagement helps to build a sense of community and shared cultural identity.
Inspiration and Creativity: Exposure to art can inspire creativity and innovation. By keeping museums free, we ensure that more people have the opportunity to be inspired by the works of great artists.
3. Economic Benefits
Tourism: Free museums can attract more tourists, boosting local economies. Visitors are more likely to spend money on other activities, such as dining and shopping, when they save on museum admission fees.
4. Preservation of Cultural Heritage
Public Awareness: Free museums help raise awareness about the importance of preserving cultural heritage. When people have regular access to art, they are more likely to value and support efforts to protect and conserve it.
Stewardship: Museums play a crucial role in preserving and interpreting art for future generations. Free access ensures that a wider audience can appreciate and understand the significance of these efforts.
5. Social Equity
Equal Opportunity: Free museums promote social equity by providing equal opportunities for all individuals to experience and learn from art. This can help bridge social and economic divides, fostering a more equitable society.
The Broad Museum, Los Angeles, California. Why We Should Keep Art Museums Free.
Free Art Museums Across the United States
Alabama
Birmingham Museum of Art, Birmingham, AL - 140,000 visitors per year
Mobile Museum of Art, Mobile, AL - 90,000 visitors per year
Alaska
Anchorage Museum, Anchorage, AK - 180,000 visitors per year
Alaska State Museum, Juneau, AK - 60,000 visitors per year
Arizona
Phoenix Art Museum, Phoenix, AZ - 200,000 visitors per year
Tucson Museum of Art, Tucson, AZ - 100,000 visitors per year
California
Getty Center, Los Angeles, CA - 1,800,000 visitors per year
San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, San Francisco, CA - 700,000 visitors per year
Colorado
Denver Art Museum, Denver, CO - 700,000 visitors per year
Colorado Springs Fine Arts Center, Colorado Springs, CO - 100,000 visitors per year
Connecticut
Delaware
Florida
Pérez Art Museum Miami, Miami, FL - 300,000 visitors per year
The Ringling, Sarasota, FL - 400,000 visitors per year
Georgia
High Museum of Art, Atlanta, GA - 500,000 visitors per year
Telfair Museums, Savannah, GA - 100,000 visitors per year
Hawaii
Idaho
Boise Art Museum, Boise, ID - 50,000 visitors per year
The Art Museum of Eastern Idaho, Idaho Falls, ID - 20,000 visitors per year
Illinois
Indiana
Iowa
Des Moines Art Center, Des Moines, IA - 100,000 visitors per year
Cedar Rapids Museum of Art, Cedar Rapids, IA - 40,000 visitors per year
Kansas
Kentucky
Speed Art Museum, Louisville, KY - 180,000 visitors per year
Kentucky Museum of Art and Craft, Louisville, KY - 40,000 visitors per year
Louisiana
New Orleans Museum of Art, New Orleans, LA - 250,000 visitors per year
Ogden Museum of Southern Art, New Orleans, LA - 100,000 visitors per year
Louisiana State Museum, Baton Rouge, LA - 80,000 visitors per year
Maine
Portland Museum of Art, Portland, ME - 150,000 visitors per year
Farnsworth Art Museum, Rockland, ME - 60,000 visitors per year
Maryland
Baltimore Museum of Art, Baltimore, MD - 200,000 visitors per year
Walters Art Museum, Baltimore, MD - 150,000 visitors per year
Massachusetts
Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, MA - 1,200,000 visitors per year
Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum, Boston, MA - 300,000 visitors per year
Michigan
Detroit Institute of Arts, Detroit, MI - 600,000 visitors per year
Grand Rapids Art Museum, Grand Rapids, MI - 100,000 visitors per year
Minnesota
Minneapolis Institute of Art, Minneapolis, MN - 700,000 visitors per year
Walker Art Center, Minneapolis, MN - 300,000 visitors per year
Mississippi
Mississippi Museum of Art, Jackson, MS - 60,000 visitors per year
Lauren Rogers Museum of Art, Laurel, MS - 30,000 visitors per year
Missouri
Saint Louis Art Museum, St. Louis, MO - 500,000 visitors per year
Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art, Kansas City, MO - 400,000 visitors per year
Montana
Missoula Art Museum, Missoula, MT - 30,000 visitors per year
Yellowstone Art Museum, Billings, MT - 20,000 visitors per year
Nebraska
Joslyn Art Museum, Omaha, NE - 100,000 visitors per year
Sheldon Museum of Art, Lincoln, NE - 40,000 visitors per year
Nevada
Nevada Museum of Art, Reno, NV - 60,000 visitors per year
Las Vegas Art Museum, Las Vegas, NV - 50,000 visitors per year
New Hampshire
Currier Museum of Art, Manchester, NH - 60,000 visitors per year
Hood Museum of Art, Hanover, NH - 40,000 visitors per year
New Jersey
Newark Museum of Art, Newark, NJ - 150,000 visitors per year
Princeton University Art Museum, Princeton, NJ - 100,000 visitors per year
New Mexico
New Mexico Museum of Art, Santa Fe, NM - 100,000 visitors per year
Georgia O'Keeffe Museum, Santa Fe, NM - 150,000 visitors per year
New York
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY - 6,000,000 visitors per year
Museum of Modern Art, New York, NY - 3,000,000 visitors per year
North Carolina
North Carolina Museum of Art, Raleigh, NC - 300,000 visitors per year
Mint Museum, Charlotte, NC - 150,000 visitors per year
North Dakota
North Dakota Museum of Art, Grand Forks, ND - 20,000 visitors per year
Plains Art Museum, Fargo, ND - 30,000 visitors per year
Taube Museum of Art, Minot, ND - 10,000 visitors per year
Ohio
Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH - 600,000 visitors per year
Cincinnati Art Museum, Cincinnati, OH - 300,000 visitors per year
Columbus Museum of Art, Columbus, OH - 200,000 visitors per year
Oklahoma
Philbrook Museum of Art, Tulsa, OK - 160,000 visitors per year
Oklahoma City Museum of Art, Oklahoma City, OK - 100,000 visitors per year
Fred Jones Jr. Museum of Art, Norman, OK - 50,000 visitors per year
Oregon
Portland Art Museum, Portland, OR - 350,000 visitors per year
Jordan Schnitzer Museum of Art, Eugene, OR - 50,000 visitors per year
Pennsylvania
Philadelphia Museum of Art, Philadelphia, PA - 800,000 visitors per year
Carnegie Museum of Art, Pittsburgh, PA - 300,000 visitors per year
Rhode Island
Rhode Island School of Design Museum, Providence, RI - 100,000 visitors per year
Newport Art Museum, Newport, RI - 30,000 visitors per year
South Carolina
Columbia Museum of Art, Columbia, SC - 100,000 visitors per year
Gibbes Museum of Art, Charleston, SC - 60,000 visitors per year
South Dakota
South Dakota Art Museum, Brookings, SD - 20,000 visitors per year
Dahl Arts Center, Rapid City, SD - 15,000 visitors per year
Tennessee
Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, TX - 1,000,000 visitors per year
Dallas Museum of Art, Dallas, TX - 700,000 visitors per year
Utah Museum of Fine Arts, Salt Lake City, UT - 100,000 visitors per year
Springville Museum of Art, Springville, UT - 50,000 visitors per year
Vermont
Shelburne Museum, Shelburne, VT - 100,000 visitors per year
Fleming Museum of Art, Burlington, VT - 30,000 visitors per year
Virginia
Virginia Museum of Fine Arts, Richmond, VA - 500,000 visitors per year
Chrysler Museum of Art, Norfolk, VA - 200,000 visitors per year
Washington
Seattle Art Museum, Seattle, WA - 800,000 visitors per year
Tacoma Art Museum, Tacoma, WA - 100,000 visitors per year
West Virginia
Huntington Museum of Art, Huntington, WV - 40,000 visitors per year
Clay Center for the Arts and Sciences, Charleston, WV - 30,000 visitors per year
Wisconsin
Milwaukee Art Museum, Milwaukee, WI - 400,000 visitors per year
Madison Museum of Contemporary Art, Madison, WI - 60,000 visitors per year
Wyoming
Buffalo Bill Center of the West, Cody, WY - 200,000 visitors per year
Nicolaysen Art Museum, Casper, WY - 20,000 visitors per year
In conclusion, keeping art museums free is not just a matter of accessibility; it is a commitment to fostering a more inclusive, educated, and culturally rich society. By ensuring that everyone has the opportunity to experience and learn from art, we invest in the cultural and intellectual growth of our communities.