Corpus Christi, TX — Art Bridges Foundation, the national arts nonprofit founded by philanthropist Alice Walton, announced Wednesday, October 11, 2023, the launch of “Access for All,” providing $40 million in funding to 64 museums nationwide. The initiative aims to increase access to museums across the country and foster engagement with local communities by covering the costs of free admission days and expanded free hours as well as programming, outreach, and community partnerships that together, will eliminate many common barriers to access.

Museums participating in the Access for All initiative span 36 states and Puerto Rico. Among the 64 partners representing a broad range of locations are the Howard University Gallery of Arts (Washington, D.C.); Museo de Arte de Puerto Rico (San Juan, PR); Plains Art Museum (Fargo, ND); Portland Museum of Art (Portland, ME); San Diego Museum of Art (San Diego, CA); Whitney Museum of American Art (New York, NY); Wichita Art Museum (Wichita, KS); and Yellowstone Art Museum (Billings, MT) Art Museum of South Texas (Corpus Christi, TX). The full list of participating museums can be found on the Art Bridges website.

“Everyone, no matter where they live, deserves access to art. That’s why we started Art Bridges: to support museums in deepening their connections with local communities, and to pave the way for new audiences to experience the creativity and joy that comes with seeing art,” said Alice Walton, founder and board chair of Art Bridges. “Access for All is our biggest and most ambitious effort to date, dedicating $40 million toward bridging gaps between museums of all sizes and their communities in order to foster meaningful connections and expand arts access in every region, from Peoria to Puerto Rico.”

Access for All represents a sweeping effort to get people back to museums after COVID-19 brought declines in revenue, staffing and attendance. With many museums seeing just 71 percent of their pre-pandemic attendance, the new initiative will aim to restore pre-pandemic levels – and open opportunities for all people to enjoy American art by reducing barriers to access and strengthening community relationships.

Of the participating 64 museums, all current partners of Art Bridges, 80 percent have annual operating expenses under $10 million. The majority charge admission fees and will be able to provide new free admission opportunities through Access for All. Others will use the Access for All funds to sustain or extend current free admission policies.

Each museum will have the opportunity to use the funds to develop tailored programming specifically for their communities, including but not limited to:

• Underwriting free admission on a designated “Access for All Day,” expanded hours, or full-time;
• Partnering with local transit agencies and community centers to facilitate free and accessible transportation;
• Designing interdisciplinary and culturally responsive programs relevant to community interest;
• Providing fully bilingual interpretation, assistive listening systems, marketing and programming, including Spanish, American Sign Language, and indigenous languages;
• Expanding outreach to local schools;
• Working with local organizations to help organize free community meals;
• Hiring new staff responsible for the creation of community engagement programming and more.

“We are thrilled to launch Access for All, a historic partnership with cultural institutions across the country to make it easier for people in every U.S. region to see and experience art. At Art Bridges, we can’t wait to see our trusted partners get creative and deliver impact to their communities,” Alice Walton said. “In the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, we are confident Access for All will not only help to rebuild museum attendance but also bring more people than ever into museum galleries and reshape the arts world as one that is open to all.”

“The Art Museum of South Texas is honored to be a part of Art Bridges’ Access for All initiative, which strikes at the core of our values to provide access to art education for underrepresented areas of South Texas,” said Sara Sells Morgan, Director of Art Museum of South Texas. “We have been working tirelessly to develop programs that resonate with our communities, expand partnerships and welcome more community members and are excited to showcase Second Saturdays in the coming year.”

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