General admission will soon become a distant memory for visitors to Rochester's Memorial Art Gallery.
On Thursday, the museum announced the official launch date of its Free For All, Forever initiative will be May 1.
The museum announced this spring that it had raised more than $9 million toward the free admission endowment. Museum leadership said this had been an ongoing plan for some time, but a surge in donor support ensured the initiative could launch much sooner than expected.
The endowment will provide annual funding to replace revenue that's normally yielded by general admission. Additionally, the goal is to increase public accessibility to art.
"We’re not only returning to the public-spirited, educational mission of our museum, but opening the doors wider to the people of Rochester and creating more opportunities for everyone to experience, learn from and connect with art," Sarah Jesse, the Mary W. and Donald R. Clark director of the museum, said in a statement.
On launch day, visitors can expect special programming, creative workshop tours, food, music, and a new exhibition.
To learn more about the project, click here.
