At no charge to you, The Baltimore Museum of Art (BMA) showcases 97,000 works of art, including pieces from Africa, Asia, Europe, the Americas, and the Pacific Islands. The museum also holds the largest collection of Henri Matisse’s work as a public institution.
The BMA, founded in 1914, welcomes students and groups from all over with open arms, general admission free for all. Ticketed exhibitions are free for youth ages 17 and under, and all student groups. The BMA hasn’t always had free general admission, as this policy is relatively recent.
Senior Director of Communications, Anne Brown, has been working at the museum since 2000, and witnessed the BMA’s path to free admission.
“Back in 2006, the BMA got unprecedented support, government support from Baltimore City and Baltimore county, that allowed the BMA and the Walters to establish free admission beginning October 1st that year,” Brown said.
The BMA was gifted a collective $800k from Baltimore City and Baltimore County in order to make free admission a present reality, not a distant dream.
Jennifer Hylton, visiting Assistant Teaching Professor of Art History at Loyola said it is important for students to see art up close and personal, giving some context to why she sends some of her students to the BMA.
“All of us are bombarded with images on a daily basis. More and more of these experiences are virtual. Going to a museum provides the opportunity for prolonged looking. Unmediated looking is good for the soul and the practice has ramifications beyond the visual arts. We should all pay closer attention to the world around us,” Hylton said.
Elisabeth Callihan, Chief Education Officer at the BMA touched on her observation of the students she sees becoming captivated by the art they witness firsthand at the Museum.
“I think that it really shows that art can feel intimidating or irrelevant, in many ways, but to engage with it really shows that art is for everyone and there’s something to connect to from whatever your perspective,” Callihan said.
Callihan claims accessible art is especially important for young people, all they need to do is get there.
“It was really important to us, particularly around the Amy Sherald exhibition, that we not only have free general admission, but for our ticketed exhibition, we offer free admission for college students who are coming as a class, and for youth ages 17 and under. Because we, again, do not want to create any barriers to access for this exhibition.”
Students can learn more about the Amy Sherald exhibit at The Baltimore Museum of Art and reserve tickets here.
