The Whitney Museum in Manhattan’s Meatpacking District will soon be free to patrons 25 and younger starting in mid-December to grow the influence of art, the cultural institution announced.
“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 museum director Scott Rothkopf.
Currently, tickets for adults cost $30.
The concept for the museum holding works of 20th and 21st-century artists builds off free Friday nights for all from 5 to 10 p.m. plus no cost admission on the second Sunday of each month.
No charge Fridays alone, which began last January, resulted in a surge of younger people visiting the galleries, according to the Whitney.
The average age dropped by a decade and more than half of the guests said they were first-timers.
The two-weekend initiatives have brought in nearly 200,000 art lovers and newcomers at no cost.
“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.”
