from Washington Post -
Smithsonian Will Charge For Butterfly Pavilion
go to article

from The Art Newspaper -
Sweden: Entry fees deter visitors
go to article

from The Guardian Art & Architecture Blog -
Free entry is still just the ticket
go to post

Yet a couple more ripples in the perennial debate on whether museum visitors should be expected to pay for entry.

The issue may be that museums are expected to fulfill several expectations:

1. Success is gauged by headcount;
2. Content is driven by research and mission; and
3. Funding is determined by (socio-political) relevance.

Taken in isolation, these expectations are reasonable and likely to be achievable. But when taken in combination, that's where most museums could potentially fumble, resulting in a confusion of mixed signals of what a museum should do or be about.

Also see previous posts and discussions on this web-log:

Switzerland is a nation of museum lovers

Art for inclusion's sake

The high cost of being 'free'

Down with this access pottiness

Should Art Museums Always Be Free? There's Room for Debate
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