LA Museums: Free For All!

On Sunday, October 1st, 2006, twenty museums across Los Angeles will participate in the second annual Museums Free-For-All, by opening their doors to the public absolutely free of charge. The Free-For-All concept is a refreshing change from the worrying drift towards rising admission prices for national art museums, and while the day provides relief - it is clearly not enough. Since the inception of this web log, I’ve been writing about museum ticket prices and their impact upon America’s cultural life. In November of 2004, I wrote the following - pouring scorn on New York’s Museum of Modern Art (MOMA) for setting an unwelcome wallet-lightening standard:

"MOMA’s steep admission price marks an ominous trend - that of transforming art museums into privatized establishments where only the wealthy can afford entry. While a $20 dollar ticket will not prevent most people from visiting once a year, only rich persons can afford to be regular guests. All of society will suffer as a consequence. Gone are the days when art students and other aspiring artists could pore over a museum’s collection at little or no cost. High entry fees constitute an irreparable loss for low income people seeking inspiration and stimulation from art. The terrible irony is that, as in the past, up and coming artists can’t afford steep admission prices to view great works of art. MOMA has effectively abandoned its most celebrated purpose - that of being an institution that inspires artists."

Unfortunately, things have changed little since I wrote those words, and MOMA is no longer alone in being the most expensive museum in America. In July of this year, New York’s Metropolitan Museum of Art also raised its door price to $20, which will surely be followed by admission increases for other museums. All the more reason to revel in LA’s Free-For-All, an event that should not only be celebrated, but expanded to include every museum in the country. For a full listing of participating museums, check the MuseumsLA.org website.