The Whitney Museum of American Art in New York is set to offer free admission to all visitors aged 25 and under in a bid to attract younger audiences.
The institution will be free for guests aged 25 and under from December 2024. The new programme is an expansion of the museum’s free Friday nights and second Sundays initiatives, which are for visitors of all ages.
Since launching in January, the museum has welcomed nearly 200,000 visitors through these two initiatives. Combined with its other free offerings, the Whitney has welcomed around 300,000 guests for free this year.
Additionally, the Whitney has offered free admission for visitors aged 18 and under for more than 10 years. Per a press release, the museum offers one of the broadest and most comprehensive free admissions programmes among museums in New York and the US.
“Since its founding, the Whitney has been committed to supporting young and innovative artists, and we now hope to further support younger audiences, too, by addressing financial barriers that affect this group the most,” said Scott Rothkopf, the Whitney’s director.
“I believe deeply in the cultural and social impact we can have by sharing the vitality and relevance of the Whitney’s artistic program with young people from New York, the United
States, and around the globe.”
Through its new free offerings, the Whitney’s audience has been transformed. On average, guests are younger and more diverse.
“The launch of our first two free admissions programs have had such an incredible impact on our audience that we wanted to go even further in making the Whitney one of the most
accessible large museums in America,” Rothkopf added.
“You can feel the amazing energy in the galleries on free days, and I couldn’t be more excited to see that grow.”
Making culture more accessible
The new programme for 25s and under is made possible by two three-year gifts from Whitney board members Susan Hess and Julie Mehretu.
“You can’t have any conversations around diversity, equity and inclusion without providing
access, and the culture can’t change and it can’t continue to grow without new and diverse
voices having access to the culture being created at the moment,” said Mehretu.
“I did not have access to contemporary art museums as a young adult, and when I moved to New York, I was waiting tables – it was hard to access contemporary art and culture, as it’s hard for so many grad students and young people.
“If you really want to push the discourse and evolve the discourse, many more people need to have access to be able to participate, and this program is a step in the right direction – and we need more.”
Images courtesy of the Whitney
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