As with most issues where money concerned, charging for exhibits can be a double-edged sword. The admission price may help the museum pay for the cost of the exhibition; however, if the museum is truly dedicated to its mission of bringing art to the community, it will need to spend more money on education and outreach, to be sure that it has properly included those who can't afford exorbitant admission prices. I was at the Getty recently, and while that is a museum with more obvious financial support than most, I greatly enjoyed being able to appreciate the collection and special exhibitions without having to pay any admission (believe me, I more than made up for it by spending up a storm in their bookstores!). A low or non-existent admission encourages visitors to come back more often, thus increasing the patron count and the retail sales. Most visitors probably won't be able to afford several visits to an exhibition if the admission price is high. It would be interesting to compare the amount of private support received by museums that don't charge admission versus museums that do. Has a study like this ever been conducted? -----Original Message----- From: Les Reker [mailto:[log in to unmask]] Sent: Wednesday, May 22, 2002 10:31 AM To: [log in to unmask] Subject: Re: Admission fees for special exhibits The Columbus Museum, which features both American art and regional history, will celebrate its 50th anniversary next year. We have never charged a general admission nor do we charge for entry into the special exhibitions. Each changing exhibit (and some of them are quite expensive) is fully funded by a sponsor. Les Reker Director of Collections & Exhibitions THE COLUMBUS MUSEUM 1251 Wynnton Road Columbus, GA 31906 -----Original Message----- From: Museum discussion list [mailto:[log in to unmask]]On Behalf Of Fiona Adams Sent: Wednesday, May 22, 2002 1:23 PM To: [log in to unmask] Subject: Re: Admission fees for special exhibits Really? Curious. I suppose I spoke too soon. I guess I've just been lucky when visiting. Thanks for letting me know. Are there any museums free of this "extra charging for exhibits" practice? I thought I had found one, but alas, I have not. Fiona Adams -----Original Message----- From: Museum discussion list [mailto:[log in to unmask]]On Behalf Of Tarn Cheon Sent: Wednesday, May 22, 2002 9:36 AM To: [log in to unmask] Subject: Re: Admission fees for special exhibits Interesting, I've always paid at least $10 for special exhibits at the Portland Art Museum. This museum could also have played a role in the "We are too busy and important to courteously notify job applicants when they have not been chosen for an interview" thread. Just saying...I'm not bitter or anything. Ahem. -----Original Message----- From: Fiona Adams [mailto:[log in to unmask]] Sent: Wednesday, May 22, 2002 9:32 AM To: [log in to unmask] Subject: Re: Admission fees for special exhibits Hi Jason. I have had a similar experience at 2 different museums. Although I really cherish the following museums, I have been frustrated with their pricing rules. The Bower's Museum, in Southern California, frequently has a special exhibit for which you pay $20 + in addition to the regular admission price. At the British Museum in London, admission is free, although a donation is encouraged, but you must pay more money to see special exhibits. I don't always have the extra money to shell out to see the special exhibits and I find it quite discouraging when museums use this method. However, there are also other wonderful museums that don't charge for special exhibits, such as the Portland Art Museum, in Oregon. I think they are quite successful in their practices. Fiona Adams -----Original Message----- From: Museum discussion list [mailto:[log in to unmask]]On Behalf Of Aikens, Jason Sent: Wednesday, May 22, 2002 9:05 AM To: [log in to unmask] Subject: Admission fees for special exhibits To All: Recently I visited a non-profit museum which was currently having a special exhibit. I would not like to mention the specific name of the museum or the exhibit. The museum had a regular admission price of around $8 and charged an additional $8 to see their new special exhibit. The museum also required that if anyone wanted to see the special exhibit, they must also pay for regular admission to the museum. I was offended by the price gauging of this institution. I was wondering if it anyone out there had any other similar experiences like this at another non-profit museum. Is it common for museums to charge additional fees to see special exhibits? I can understand a dollar or two but nearly $8 seems quite high and requiring visitors to pay for regular admission as well as special exhibit fees seems a bit much don't you think? Isn't this a violation of federal non-profit standards? Jason Aikens ========================================================= Important Subscriber Information: The Museum-L FAQ file is located at http://www.finalchapter.com/museum-l-faq/ . You may obtain detailed information about the listserv commands by sending a one line e-mail message to [log in to unmask] . The body of the message should read "help" (without the quotes). If you decide to leave Museum-L, please send a one line e-mail message to [log in to unmask] . The body of the message should read "Signoff Museum-L" (without the quotes). ========================================================= Important Subscriber Information: The Museum-L FAQ file is located at http://www.finalchapter.com/museum-l-faq/ . You may obtain detailed information about the listserv commands by sending a one line e-mail message to [log in to unmask] . The body of the message should read "help" (without the quotes). If you decide to leave Museum-L, please send a one line e-mail message to [log in to unmask] . The body of the message should read "Signoff Museum-L" (without the quotes). ========================================================= Important Subscriber Information: The Museum-L FAQ file is located at http://www.finalchapter.com/museum-l-faq/ . You may obtain detailed information about the listserv commands by sending a one line e-mail message to [log in to unmask] . The body of the message should read "help" (without the quotes). If you decide to leave Museum-L, please send a one line e-mail message to [log in to unmask] . The body of the message should read "Signoff Museum-L" (without the quotes). ========================================================= Important Subscriber Information: The Museum-L FAQ file is located at http://www.finalchapter.com/museum-l-faq/ . You may obtain detailed information about the listserv commands by sending a one line e-mail message to [log in to unmask] . The body of the message should read "help" (without the quotes). If you decide to leave Museum-L, please send a one line e-mail message to [log in to unmask] . The body of the message should read "Signoff Museum-L" (without the quotes). ========================================================= Important Subscriber Information: The Museum-L FAQ file is located at http://www.finalchapter.com/museum-l-faq/ . You may obtain detailed information about the listserv commands by sending a one line e-mail message to [log in to unmask] . The body of the message should read "help" (without the quotes). If you decide to leave Museum-L, please send a one line e-mail message to [log in to unmask] . The body of the message should read "Signoff Museum-L" (without the quotes). ========================================================= Important Subscriber Information: The Museum-L FAQ file is located at http://www.finalchapter.com/museum-l-faq/ . You may obtain detailed information about the listserv commands by sending a one line e-mail message to [log in to unmask] . The body of the message should read "help" (without the quotes). If you decide to leave Museum-L, please send a one line e-mail message to [log in to unmask] . The body of the message should read "Signoff Museum-L" (without the quotes).