'Access for All' funds allow Erie Art Museum to offer free admission times
The Erie Art Museum's collection contains more than 8,000 objects, including ceramics, paintings, sculpture and photography. Visitors will be able to see it for free twice a month beginning in January.
The downtown museum received $80,000 as part of the Art Bridges Foundation's "Access for All," an initiative that provided $40 million total to 64 museums nationwide, according to Erie Art Museum officials. The local museum will spread its funding over three years, to offer monthly free admission times through December 2026, officials said.
When can I go?
Beginning Jan. 1, the Erie Art Museum, 20 E. Fifth St., will feature free admission the first Thursday of each month from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. and the third Saturday of the month from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., officials said.
"We chose the split model to appeal to all age groups, such as senior citizens or homeschoolers who might prefer a weekday, while many families with working parents will opt for a Saturday visit," Melanie Vadzemnieks, the museum's development director who spearheaded the grant proposal, said via email.
The museum is open Wednesdays, Thursdays and Fridays from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.; Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.; and Sundays from 1 to 6 p.m. Regular admission is $10 for adults, $8 for seniors and students, and free for members, ages 16 and younger and active-duty military members.
What will take place?
During the free admission times, docents will be available to answer questions and give tours. Interactive programming, such as make-and-take art activities, will be offered, officials said. Other special programming will be offered some months.
“For regional art museums like ours, this initiative amplifies the importance of creativity in our lives. It expands the cultural conversations within our community and who can participate in them,” Laura Domencic, executive director of the Erie Art Museum, said in a news release.
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What is 'Access for All'?
The Art Bridges Foundation is a national arts nonprofit founded by philanthropist Alice Walton. Its "Access for All" initiative aims to increase access to museums across the country and foster engagement with local communities by covering the costs of free admission days and expanded free hours as well as programming, outreach and community partnerships that, together, will eliminate many common barriers to access, according to the news release.
"Everyone, no matter where they live, deserves access to art," Alice Walton, founder and board chair of Art Bridges, said in the news release. "That’s why we started Art Bridges: to support museums in deepening their connections with local communities, and to pave the way for new audiences to experience the creativity and joy that comes with seeing art.
"'Access for All' is our biggest and most ambitious effort to date, dedicating $40 million toward bridging gaps between museums of all sizes and their communities in order to foster meaningful connections and expand arts access in every region, from Peoria to Puerto Rico."
The initiative also is an effort to get people back to museums after COVID-19 brought declines in revenue, staffing and attendance. With many museums seeing just 71 percent of their pre-pandemic attendance, the new initiative will aim to restore pre-pandemic levels and open opportunities for all people to enjoy American art by reducing barriers to access and strengthening community relationships, the release stated.
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Learn more
Find the full list of participating "Access for All" museums and learn more at https://artbridgesfoundation.org/access-for-all.
Find more about the Erie Art Museum and its programs by visiting erieartmuseum.org or calling 814-459-5477.
Dana Massing can be reached at [email protected].
This article originally appeared on Erie Times-News: Erie Art Museum adding free monthly admission times with Access for All
