[Dixielandjazz] The price of "Art" increases.

David Richoux tubaman at batnet.com
Mon Sep 27 08:44:49 PDT 2004


The San Jose CA Museum of  Art went to an "everybody gets in free all  
the time" mode a few years ago and attendance is WAY up. They do have  
rare nights for special events that require a fee, but in general, I  
think they decided it was more important to have people actually come  
in and look than to make "tons of money." There are still memberships  
and big donor/supporters but the directors have also taken a much more  
progressive stance on the themes and artists they show.

http://www.sjmusart.org/content/aboutUs/press/press_info.phtml? 
itemID=11 for more on this policy. here is a snip:
> Three key ideas from the AAM report form the basis of SJMA’s return to  
> its free admission policy:
>
> 1. Commitment to education is paramount to a museum’s role as a public  
> benefit organization, and should be pivotal to museums’ activities.
>
>  2. Museums must become more inclusive, reflecting our society’s  
> pluralism in every aspect of their operations and programming, and  
> welcoming diverse audiences.
>
>  3. The museum’s great potential and responsibility for public service  
> in the decades ahead hinges on dynamic, forceful leadership from  
> individuals, institutions and organizations within and outside the  
> museum community.



they even have bands playing sometimes, if it is opening night or some  
special event...

Dave Richoux

On Sep 27, 2004, at 8:18 AM, Rob McCallum wrote:

> Hi all,
>
> I was at MoMA a few years back, right before they closed for  
> renovation.  It was a "pay-what-you-wish" night (which has been a  
> popular once-a-week approach that some museums have used for  
> promotions).  The place was packed and I immediately went up to a  
> guard and asked which way Starry Night was (which is one of their big  
> attractions and what I really wanted to see).  It turned out that the  
> gallery that painting was in was closed that night (along with most  
> all of their 19th century works-including Monet's Water Lillies).  So  
> even though I only paid a little bit of money to get in, I was  
> dissapointed not to see the piece that I really went there to see  
> (sort of like a novice listener going to hear a dixieland band and  
> really wanting to hear Saints and the band not playing it).
>
> So, I'd much rather pay $20 and see everything that I want to see than  
> to pay $5 and find half of the exhibits closed.  Now, if I pay $20 and  
> still can't see the big attractions, I would ask for my money back.
>
> All the best,
> Rob McCallum




More information about the Dixielandjazz mailing list