Toby Rogers, thank you for your discussion of the commons. It is foundational, and can be pursued more. One of them is the closure of art in all the museums to every person who can not afford it. It also limits the frequency of such visits. Thus, a fee becomes a gate, a closure of what was once a cultural commons. That cultural commons i…
Toby Rogers, thank you for your discussion of the commons. It is foundational, and can be pursued more. One of them is the closure of art in all the museums to every person who can not afford it. It also limits the frequency of such visits. Thus, a fee becomes a gate, a closure of what was once a cultural commons. That cultural commons is at the heart of our civilization and thus very important. There was a time when I visited the Morgan library every day after school. Impossible now. The power of the art at the Morgan, the Met, the Frick and the Modern is only felt with continual visits. Frequency should be encouraged. The first time I visited Manhattan, all museums were free. I spent my Sundays in museums. The Cleveland Museum of Art, understands it is housing the commons, and remains free to all. It encourages frequent visits. Could it be because Cleveland's culture grew from its founding as the Western Reserve after the Shay's Rebellion?
I don't know if it's still that way, but when we lived in Pa., the Philadelphia Art Museum was free to anyone who received SNAP. Not the same as free to everyone, but at least the people running the museum recognize that one school trip a year is not enough, and that for some people, that truly is all they would get if someone didn't open the gates to them. When I lived in NYC, the Met was "pay what you wish," but I could afford the cheapest membership ($65/yr, at the time), so I paid for that, and went nearly every weekend.
I didn't know that Manhattan museums used to be free. Indeed, art is being closed off. My wife and I signed up for a Bank of America card just for free NYC museum weekends. Not quite worth it in hindsight.
Toby Rogers, thank you for your discussion of the commons. It is foundational, and can be pursued more. One of them is the closure of art in all the museums to every person who can not afford it. It also limits the frequency of such visits. Thus, a fee becomes a gate, a closure of what was once a cultural commons. That cultural commons is at the heart of our civilization and thus very important. There was a time when I visited the Morgan library every day after school. Impossible now. The power of the art at the Morgan, the Met, the Frick and the Modern is only felt with continual visits. Frequency should be encouraged. The first time I visited Manhattan, all museums were free. I spent my Sundays in museums. The Cleveland Museum of Art, understands it is housing the commons, and remains free to all. It encourages frequent visits. Could it be because Cleveland's culture grew from its founding as the Western Reserve after the Shay's Rebellion?
Moisha Blechman
I don't know if it's still that way, but when we lived in Pa., the Philadelphia Art Museum was free to anyone who received SNAP. Not the same as free to everyone, but at least the people running the museum recognize that one school trip a year is not enough, and that for some people, that truly is all they would get if someone didn't open the gates to them. When I lived in NYC, the Met was "pay what you wish," but I could afford the cheapest membership ($65/yr, at the time), so I paid for that, and went nearly every weekend.
Definitely. Shay's Rebellion for sure
I didn't know that Manhattan museums used to be free. Indeed, art is being closed off. My wife and I signed up for a Bank of America card just for free NYC museum weekends. Not quite worth it in hindsight.