The New York Times reported that the Metropolitan Museum of Art is looking at options to make its "suggested" entry fee into something a little stronger than a hint, at least for people who live outside the city or state. A few years ago Derek Thompson reported that about six out of ten visitors do not pay the full suggested fee, and so the numbers at stake are large. What can we say about this? It's a bit over the top to refer to charging those visitors who reside outside the local tax base that supports the museum, but not residents, as … [Read more...]
Archives for April 2017
Metrics at the museum
The Washington Post's Philip Kennicott decided to try visiting the popular Kusama exhibit at the Hirshhorn not as a critic, with all its special viewing privileges, but as an ordinary member of the public. The crowds and the rush, as we might expect, reduced the quality of the experience. We might enjoy a play or concert more when the house is full, but that doesn't apply so well to museums. In one well-executed piece of research, Maddison and Foster found visitors would be willing to pay a significant entry fee to the British Museum if it … [Read more...]