In national program, Orlando Museum of Art will add free days
Thanks to a nationwide program funded by a Walmart heir, Orlando Museum of Art will offer free admission one day each month, beginning in January.
The museum announced this week that it is one of 64 museums across the country to participate in a three-year, $40 million pilot program called Access for All. The goal of the initiative, funded by Walmart heir Alice Walton’s Arkansas-based Art Bridges foundation, is to boost attendance at museums by increasing accessibility to the arts for those with limited means.
The museum, which will receive $400,000, says the money will be used for cultural partnerships, transportation assistance, special programming and community outreach, in addition to paying for the free-admission days.
“We are grateful for the opportunity to partner with Art Bridges and to make art experiences more
available to the entire Orlando community,” said Cathryn J. Mattson, hired as the museum’s interim executive director in April, in the program announcement.
The free days will begin in the new year, on Jan. 18, and continue on the third Thursday of each month.
Third Thursdays have long been associated with art in Central Florida: Orlando’s Downtown Art District holds an exhibit opening at CityArts on Orange Avenue on each month’s third Thursday, with live entertainment and other party-like elements continuing all evening throughout downtown.
The art museum, in Loch Haven Park north of downtown, will open for expanded hours each third Thursday, from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m., to increase accessibility for those who work during the day. Live entertainment and refreshments also will be part of its programming, the museum’s announcement said.
The museum also hopes to work with local transportation agencies to offer assistance to potential visitors. The SunRail commuter train and the Lynx bus system service the neighborhood around the museum.
Many museums nationwide have struggled to return to attendance levels seen before the COVID-19 shutdown of 2020. A survey by the American Alliance of Museums showed that only one-third of museums had seen their attendance fully recover. “Two-thirds continue to experience reduced attendance,” the alliance’s report reads, “averaging 71% of their pre-pandemic attendance.”
Walton’s statement said Access for All was designed with the pandemic’s effects in mind.
“In the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, we are confident Access for All will not only help to rebuild museum attendance,” she said, “but also bring more people than ever into museum galleries and reshape the arts world as one that is open to all.”
In recent times Orlando Museum of Art has faced other highly publicized woes, as well.
Despite lawsuit’s claims, Orlando Museum of Art tight-lipped about how much damage it has suffered
For the past 16 months, the museum has been bogged down in fallout from the seizure of its high-profile “Heroes & Monsters” exhibit as part of an FBI investigation into fraudulent works attributed to the late artist Jean-Michel Basquiat. The museum, which was placed on probation by the national Alliance, is currently involved in a lawsuit with its former director and owners of the art over damage to the museum’s reputation and finances.
Regular admission to the museum is $20 for adults, with discounts for senior citizens and students. The museum is always free to active-duty military, veterans, first responders and children ages 5 and younger.
In her statement, Mattson indicated the free days could provide a fresh start or even an introduction between the museum and community members.
“We look forward to welcoming everyone, especially those who haven’t attended before, to the
museum to enjoy the galleries and special events on Access for All Third Thursdays,” she said.
Follow me at facebook.com/matthew.j.palm or email me at mpalm@orlandosentinel.com. Find more arts news and reviews at orlandosentinel.com/arts, and go to orlandosentinel.com/theater for theater news and reviews.
