{"id":528,"date":"2013-03-26T16:38:29","date_gmt":"2013-03-26T23:38:29","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.artsjournal.com\/worth\/?p=528"},"modified":"2013-03-26T16:38:29","modified_gmt":"2013-03-26T23:38:29","slug":"museums-are-not-expensive","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.artsjournal.com\/worth\/2013\/03\/museums-are-not-expensive\/","title":{"rendered":"Museums are not expensive"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"a<\/a>

Susan Watts, New York Daily News<\/p><\/div>\n

New York’s Metropolitan Museum of Art is being sued<\/a> for strongly suggesting that its “recommended” donation for entry is in fact required of visitors. Associated Press<\/a> reports:<\/p>\n

‘The museum was designed to be open to everyone, without regard to their financial circumstances,’ said Arnold Weiss, one of two attorneys who filed the lawsuit on behalf of three museum-goers, a New Yorker and two tourists from the Czech Republic. ‘But instead, the museum has been converted into an elite tourist attraction.’<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

In the New York Daily News<\/em>, James Panero<\/a> writes:<\/p>\n

And the Met\u2019s suggested admissions fee has skyrocketed, further shaming museum-goers into paying higher amounts. Since 1992, the Met\u2019s recommended adult entry fee has increased 150% adjusted for inflation, from $6 (which is roughly $10 in today\u2019s dollars) to $25.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

I will leave the question of “recommended” and “suggested” fees for another post. Here, I just want to consider the amount itself, which has “skyrocketed” to $25.<\/p>\n

This is not a high price<\/em>. Put aside how much it has increased over the past twenty years, since old prices are not what is relevant here. Instead, think of the current price as it stands. Admission is $25 for adults, $17 for seniors, $12 for students, and children under 12 are free. I can take my three children to see one of the greatest collections of visual art in the world for about the same family price as taking them to see The Croods<\/em> this weekend. It would cost me less than a family lunch at our local Applebee’s.<\/p>\n

\"seriously?\"<\/a>If I only consider the single adult admission, I can spend a full day with this collection for far less than the price of any show on Broadway, and most shows off-Broadway. It’s roughly the cost of two movies, or two hardcover books (if they are on sale) or three paperbacks (ditto). It’s less than the cost of the vast majority of seats for any professional sports team – all $25 will get you at Citi Field is a chance to see the Mets from the outfield at nosebleed heights, any other seat will cost you more. $25 will not get me to an ordinary concert with the New York Philharmonic. It can get me into the highest balcony for the Metropolitan Opera, but no closer. But $25 (the top price) will get me a full day up close with an astounding collection of art.<\/p>\n

Furthermore, it is evident that people are willing to pay this price. The Met is not wanting for visitors.<\/p>\n

I do not know how it came to pass that museums should be charging less for what they give to their patrons than other art forms.\u00a0 <\/em>Asking for $25 requires no apology.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

New York’s Metropolitan Museum of Art is being sued for strongly suggesting that its “recommended” donation for entry is in fact required of visitors. Associated Press reports: ‘The museum was designed to be open to everyone, without regard to their financial circumstances,’ said Arnold Weiss, one of two attorneys who filed the lawsuit on behalf […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_genesis_hide_title":false,"_genesis_hide_breadcrumbs":false,"_genesis_hide_singular_image":false,"_genesis_hide_footer_widgets":false,"_genesis_custom_body_class":"","_genesis_custom_post_class":"","_genesis_layout":"","jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[26],"tags":[15],"class_list":{"0":"post-528","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","6":"category-issues","7":"tag-museums","8":"entry","9":"has-post-thumbnail"},"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p3dIW5-8w","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":1756,"url":"https:\/\/www.artsjournal.com\/worth\/2014\/12\/should-nonprofit-museums-have-free-admission-because-they-are-tax-exempt\/","url_meta":{"origin":528,"position":0},"title":"Should nonprofit museums have free admission because they are tax exempt?","author":"Michael Rushton","date":"December 20, 2014","format":false,"excerpt":"No. But Christopher Knight\u00a0at the LA Times thinks they should: Yes, every art museum needs multiple sources of revenue. It does cost money to run the place. However, because they are tax exempt, art museums already count the public as a major, indirect source of revenue. Required admission fees add\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "issues"","block_context":{"text":"issues","link":"https:\/\/www.artsjournal.com\/worth\/category\/issues\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"And everybody should have one","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.artsjournal.com\/worth\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/12\/pony.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.artsjournal.com\/worth\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/12\/pony.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.artsjournal.com\/worth\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/12\/pony.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.artsjournal.com\/worth\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/12\/pony.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.artsjournal.com\/worth\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/12\/pony.jpg?resize=1050%2C600&ssl=1 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":2287,"url":"https:\/\/www.artsjournal.com\/worth\/2018\/01\/should-museums-have-free-admission\/","url_meta":{"origin":528,"position":1},"title":"Should museums have free admission?","author":"Michael Rushton","date":"January 9, 2018","format":false,"excerpt":"I won't link to all the stories on the Metropolitan Museum's new policy of charging out-of-state residents $25 for daily admission - if you're reading this you've seen them already. Here are few additional considerations: A common refrain is that the museum can \"afford\" to have free admission for all,\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "issues"","block_context":{"text":"issues","link":"https:\/\/www.artsjournal.com\/worth\/category\/issues\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"I see an externality","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.artsjournal.com\/worth\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/01\/crowded-museum-225x300.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":2186,"url":"https:\/\/www.artsjournal.com\/worth\/2017\/04\/metrics-at-the-museum\/","url_meta":{"origin":528,"position":2},"title":"Metrics at the museum","author":"Michael Rushton","date":"April 23, 2017","format":false,"excerpt":"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\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "issues"","block_context":{"text":"issues","link":"https:\/\/www.artsjournal.com\/worth\/category\/issues\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"too many people pulled and pushed around","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.artsjournal.com\/worth\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/04\/too-many-people.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.artsjournal.com\/worth\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/04\/too-many-people.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.artsjournal.com\/worth\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/04\/too-many-people.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.artsjournal.com\/worth\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/04\/too-many-people.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":1838,"url":"https:\/\/www.artsjournal.com\/worth\/2015\/03\/on-the-return-to-public-investments-in-museums\/","url_meta":{"origin":528,"position":3},"title":"On the return to public investments in museums","author":"Michael Rushton","date":"March 3, 2015","format":false,"excerpt":"Arts Council England has released a new report that seeks to quantify the 'economic impact' of museums. It estimates that to be\u00a0\u00a31.45 billion. That doesn't matter much - there are no insights to be gained, no policy implications, from the estimate's being \u00a31.45 billion or \u00a32.07 billion or \u00a31.03 billion.\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "issues"","block_context":{"text":"issues","link":"https:\/\/www.artsjournal.com\/worth\/category\/issues\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"maybe this time?","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.artsjournal.com\/worth\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/03\/sisyphus.jpeg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":2327,"url":"https:\/\/www.artsjournal.com\/worth\/2018\/03\/is-there-an-ethical-case-against-deaccessioning-by-museums\/","url_meta":{"origin":528,"position":4},"title":"Is there an ethical case against deaccessioning by museums? Updated","author":"Michael Rushton","date":"March 20, 2018","format":false,"excerpt":"In response to a post by artsjournal.com blog neighbor Lee Rosenbaum on proposed sales of works by the Berkshire Museum and the Lasalle University Art Museum, I asked via Twitter whether there was a coherent case to be made that deaccessioning is unethical, and not simply (sometimes) a case of\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "issues"","block_context":{"text":"issues","link":"https:\/\/www.artsjournal.com\/worth\/category\/issues\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":2191,"url":"https:\/\/www.artsjournal.com\/worth\/2017\/04\/on-charging-admission-at-the-met\/","url_meta":{"origin":528,"position":5},"title":"On charging admission at the Met","author":"Michael Rushton","date":"April 28, 2017","format":false,"excerpt":"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\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "issues"","block_context":{"text":"issues","link":"https:\/\/www.artsjournal.com\/worth\/category\/issues\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"i should pay","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.artsjournal.com\/worth\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/04\/met.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.artsjournal.com\/worth\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/04\/met.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.artsjournal.com\/worth\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/04\/met.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x"},"classes":[]}],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.artsjournal.com\/worth\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/528","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.artsjournal.com\/worth\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.artsjournal.com\/worth\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.artsjournal.com\/worth\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.artsjournal.com\/worth\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=528"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.artsjournal.com\/worth\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/528\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.artsjournal.com\/worth\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=528"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.artsjournal.com\/worth\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=528"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.artsjournal.com\/worth\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=528"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}