Bank of America is pretty beleagured these days, what with CEO Kenneth Lewis saying the other day that credit conditions, undoubtedly bad now, were going to get worse. The bank reported a $4.2 billion profit in the first quarter, but the stock’s performance is miserable, its acquisition of Merrill Lynch is a mess, and people are agitating for Lewis’s ouster.
Nevertheless, B of A is not only continuing but also expanding its 11-year-old “Museums on Us” program.* Through it, holders of its ATM, credit or debit cards are given free entry to many cultural institutions during the first full weekend of every month.
This season, from May 2-3 through Dec. 4-5, there are 40 new groups, a welcome
development in these tough times, bringing the total to 120 institutions in 26 states.
Newcomers on the list include the Museum of Contemporary Art in Jacksonville, FL, the Portland Art Museum, Oregon, the Parrish Art Museum in Southampton (at right), the Chrysler Museum in Norfolk, VA, and the Phillips Collection in Washington. The best and the biggest are already on the list: the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Philadelphia Museum of Art, the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, and many more.
Efforts like this have marketing punch, of course. And I have no idea how much this costs B of A (the institutions generally receive some money from the bank as part of its philanthropy program).
But at a time when many businesses are cutting back their charitable efforts — and museums are straining to increase revenues — this is a great way for more people to see what museums have to show. (OK, it could involve more money, but isn’t that always the case?) Let’s hope other corporations take note.
So if you have a B of A card, this is one way to use it without regrets.
More information is here.
*The program was started by Fleet Bank, which B of A acquired in 2004, and initially covered a more limited time period.
Photo Credit: Parrish Art Museum