This Saturday sees a nationwide "free museum day" sponsored by Smithsonian Magazine. The LA Times< /a> revealed this morning that quite a few Californian institutes will not be participating, although they will offer free admission during the "Museums Free-For-All" on Oct. 3rd and 4th.Admission prices to museums in LA can be as high as $12 per person, making free days a precious opportunity to include low-income and disadvantaged patrons. 24 Southern California museums will take part in the "Free-For-All" this year, free days being capable of boosting attendances by up to 115% according to them. Why the selectiveness of "free admission" events they choose to participate in though?In possibly the most unwittingly damning and depressing releases ever made relating to the arts, spokespeople and marketers for museums expressed their desire to "solidify their own brand", rather than participating in a free admissions day sponsored by the "too diluted" Smithsonian brand. The day would only, you know.... allow poor people to experience the arts, and where's the profitability in that? Museum "branding"? How about gaining renown for the quality of work exhibited and research conducted, as the Smithsonian brand has, rather than bothering with smoke and mirrors, execu-speak and substance-less style? In the interest of fairness, the Smithsonian itself says that the non-participation of some of the regions biggest institutes is partly related to economic conditions. "Bigger museums carry a larger admission price and the loss of admission for that day is more than some of them can manage," said Rosie Walker, an associate publisher at Smithsonian media.Even taking this into account, surely the most worthy way to build the "brand" of a museum of any kind is by positive coverage of material exhibited, independent coverage not concocted by museum marketing employees or consultants? Non-participation in Saturday's event is on some level a simple boycott of a worthy cause, just because of it's sponsors.
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