The Metropolitan Museum has just won the NYC art-museum admissions-fee race (at least temporarily).
Starting July 1, the recommended adult admission fee at the Met rises from $20 to $25, due to “economic necessity,” as the press release helpfully explains. The “honors” for highest NYC art-museum admission price traditionally belongs to the Museum of Modern Art. But MoMA’s tariff, at this writing, remains at $20.
There’s a big difference between MoMA and the Met, however: The Met’s fee is voluntary: You can pay whatever you want and still have full access to its riches. If you encounter the cashier’s “aggressive disregard” for proffering 50ȼ (as the NY Times‘ Randy Kennedy experienced five years ago), just grin, plunk down two quarters, and walk in. (But if $25 is no hardship, just grin and peel off two tens and a five.)
I may update this post with further observations on this non-scandal, after New York Public Radio (WNYC) airs my commentary later today, and again on tomorrow’s Morning Edition (if all goes according to plan). It will be a brief news item and there may not be any linkable story on the station’s website. But you can listen live here. (Click “Listen Now” in the righthand column.)
Speaking of $25 for “economic necessity,” my warm thanks go out to CultureGrrl Repeat Donor 169 from Boston, who brings me within $25 of my goal in my Send CultureGrrl to Orlando Challenge (scroll to the fourth panel in the 12-1 p.m. slot—“Digging Culture,” also starring Felch, Frammolino and Grimaldi).
If you also want to spring for my dinner check during my Florida sojourn at the Investigative Reporters and Editors conference, I wouldn’t object. Just click my “Donate” button and pay what you can. (Like the Met’s $25 fee, It’s strictly voluntary!)