Puerto Rico Museum of Art
Alice Walton’s foundation, Art Bridges, announced Wednesday that it will award $40 million in grants to 64 museums across the United States. The grants, which range from $56,000 to more than $2 million over three years, are intended to fund programs that attract new audiences, such as extended free hours and free meals.
Walton, one of the billionaire heirs to the Walmart fortune, said the initiative, called “Access for All,” was inspired by the pandemic’s impact on museums and the general public.
“I think there are a lot of implications in terms of people’s mental health and stability coming out of the pandemic. So this is a critical point where we all need to figure out everything we can do to create that state. I really think it’s ‘visit,”’ Walton said.
Rick T. Wilking/Getty Images
According to the American Alliance of Museums, the recovery from the pandemic has been inconsistent. Nearly half of museums expect revenue to increase this year, while two-thirds report attendance is down 30% from pre-pandemic levels.
Art Bridges said in a statement that the museums were chosen based on their “annual operating costs and admission structure.” Museums receiving grants include the Wichita Museum of Art, the San Diego Museum of Art, the Delaware Art Museum, and the Zimmerli Art Museum at Rutgers University.
Free can be costly for many museums
Maria C. Gaztambide, executive director of the Puerto Rico Museum of Art, called the Access for All grant “transformative.” (Art Bridges did not disclose the amount of the grant). The museum has previously been free for a few hours every Thursday, but the money will be used to extend those hours and create monthly family days, among other things.
Walton told NPR that he believes all museums should be free. But Gaztambide doesn’t foresee a time when that becomes a reality for museums. Since the 2014 Puerto Rico debt crisis, “energy costs have been in the stratosphere,” she said.
“Of course we want our museum to be free,” she said. “But with the kind of utility bills we face every month, that’s not possible.”
Just because it’s free doesn’t necessarily mean more viewers.
Another grant recipient, the Howard University Art Museum in Washington, D.C., is always free. But co-director Kathryn Coney Ali said many people don’t know the gallery exists, even though it was founded in the late 1920s. Their grant plans include developing interdisciplinary arts festivals and bilingual programs.
In addition to attracting new visitors, Walton hopes the grant will give the museum an opportunity to focus on long-term sustainability.
“We hope it will incentivize those who fund free access, at least for a portion of the time, to go deep into their communities,” Walton said.
Howard University Art Museum
This story was edited by jennifer vanasco. The audio was produced by phil harrell.