Julie Mehretu donates $2 million to make the Whitney free for under-25s

The increase in ticket prices at the Whitney Museum in July 2023 sparked an immediate backlash, as admission for adults jumped 20%, from an already high $25 to $30, while tickets for students and seniors increased from $18 to $24. The museum defended the decision in a press release, citing “inflation, rising costs and ever-increasing attendance,” but stressed that membership fees and free or discounted programming would remain unchanged in order to to maintain accessibility.

The Whitney’s price hike follows a similar move by the Metropolitan Museum of Art, which increased admission for out-of-state visitors to $30 in 2022. The Guggenheim joined the ranks of museums at 30 $ in August 2023, and MoMA followed suit in October 2022. that year. MoMA Director Glenn D. Lowry, who will soon resign, defended the increase in the New York Times, saying: “These changes in the price of admission will help the museum maintain its financial stability.” »

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That may be the case, but as museums around the world have increased ticket prices, due to inflation, higher operational costs and program expansion, art lovers and the artists backed away. One of them is internationally renowned artist Julie Mehretu, who recently announced a $2.25 million donation that will make admission to Whitney free for visitors aged 25 and under. “If you’re a waiter in New York like you used to be, you can’t afford to go to a museum all the time,” she told the Wall Street Journal, “but young artists need to have access to art.”

While price increases are understandable, they often provoke debates about affordability and fairness, calling into question the institutions meant to serve the public. Mehretu’s donation could encourage other cultural figures to make similar donations. However, the International Council of Museums has stressed that museums should do everything in their power to ensure universal access to heritage, and its Special Interest Group on Universal Accessibility promotes best practices to balance financial sustainability and inclusiveness.

Some establishments have taken these recommendations to heart and taken steps to reduce or eliminate fees. All Smithsonian Institution museums except the Cooper Hewitt in New York offer free admission to the public, as do the National Gallery of Art in Washington, DC, the Getty Museum in Los Angeles, and the Minneapolis Institute of Art. MOCA waived admission fees following a $10 million donation from board president Carolyn Powers in 2019, and the Museum of Contemporary Art Cleveland waived its fees in 2019. In London, The Tate offers free admission, except for exhibitions in the permanent collection.

It should be noted that many large arts institutions that have increased admission fees still offer free admission to local residents, reduced rates for SNAP/EBT cardholders or veterans, and special days when Entrance is paid or completely free. Seniors and students also generally receive discounted rates. But the extent to which these discounts and free days help low-income people and marginalized communities access museums is largely poorly documented, leaving the question of whether they actually mitigate the impact of rising prices.