When you next go to see a visual arts exhibition at the Wexner Center for the Arts, your wallet will feel a little lighter when you leave.
In a bid to make its frequently thought-provoking offerings more widely accessible to Greater Columbus residents, leaders at the arts center on the campus of Ohio State University announced today that admission to its gallery spaces will be free starting June 10.
“We had previously been free on Thursday evenings and then last year, with the support of AEP Foundation, we were able to be free on Sundays,” said Kelly Stevelt, the arts center’s co-interim executive director and chief advancement officer.
An uptick in attendance during days with free admission led leaders to make the change across the board.
“We found that, even during the pandemic, by having our galleries free on Sundays, we were having three times as many visitors on those days,” said Stevelt, adding that the move reflects the center’s goal to “open up” to the broader public.
“This seemed like a really important initiative to have everyone in Columbus feel that they can come in and visit our galleries,” Stevelt said.
Admission will be free beginning with the exhibition “Portal For(e) the Ephemeral Passage,” which will open June 10 and continue through Aug. 14.
Curated by Wexner Center Artist Residency Award recipient jaamil olawale kosoko, the new exhibition, which encompasses artwork, video installations and other mediums, will reference “Black feminist knowledge, queer theory and sacred rituals of intimacy and wellness,” according to the arts center’s website.
