Anonymous $3.5 million gift to Milwaukee Art Museum provides free admission for kids 12 and under

Effectively immediately, all children ages 12 and under can visit the Milwaukee Art Museum for free thanks to a $3.54 million gift from an anonymous donor.

The gift, which establishes an endowment to support free admission for young children, comes from a donor who has previously funded MAM education and outreach programs. The anonymous donor “shared fond memories of visiting the museum with their family throughout their life” and “expressed their wish for the endowment to foster similar experiences for future generations of families,” according to the museum’s Tuesday announcement.

“This wonderful gift is a celebration of the way that philanthropy can have a significant and lasting impact for generations,” MAM chief development officer André Allaire said in the news release. “Every day, our youngest museum visitors will be able to access, engage with, and learn from world-class exhibitions and programs free of charge thanks to the generosity of an individual who believes in the power of art to strengthen our community.”

Children ages 12 and under will have free access to the museum’s collections, exhibitions and youth and family programs.

“Since our earliest days as an institution, the Milwaukee Art Museum has provided free educational experiences for children,” said Marcelle Polednik, the MAM Donna and Donald Baumgartner director. “The endowment established from this inspirational donation will keep that tradition alive for future generations of the communities we serve.”

Fried_puri on December 5th, 2024 at 18:16 UTC »

Bit unlucky for the families who went during the Thanksgiving Weekend, lol. But this is definitely uplifting news. The reviews for this museum are almost universally positive so this will be a treat for anyone going in the future.

Edit: Apparently I’m wrong and it was already free for kids under 12. This just ensures it stays that way forever.

ExactPanda on December 5th, 2024 at 16:52 UTC »

I don't like that people are million- and billionaires while others can barely survive. Wealth inequity is off the charts. But if we must have them, this is the kind of stuff they should be doing with their oodles of money. Make the world a better place instead of hoarding all the money.

Silent-Resort-3076 on December 5th, 2024 at 16:37 UTC »

I realize this is very "local" news, but I found it very uplifting:)

Effectively immediately, all children ages 12 and under can visit the Milwaukee Art Museum for free thanks to a $3.54 million gift from an anonymous donor.

The gift, which establishes an endowment to support free admission for young children, comes from a donor who has previously funded MAM education and outreach programs. The anonymous donor “shared fond memories of visiting the museum with their family throughout their life” and “expressed their wish for the endowment to foster similar experiences for future generations of families,” according to the museum’s Tuesday announcement.

“This wonderful gift is a celebration of the way that philanthropy can have a significant and lasting impact for generations,” MAM chief development officer André Allaire said in the news release. “Every day, our youngest museum visitors will be able to access, engage with, and learn from world-class exhibitions and programs free of charge thanks to the generosity of an individual who believes in the power of art to strengthen our community.”

Children ages 12 and under will have free access to the museum’s collections, exhibitions and youth and family programs.

“Since our earliest days as an institution, the Milwaukee Art Museum has provided free educational experiences for children,” said Marcelle Polednik, the MAM Donna and Donald Baumgartner director. “The endowment established from this inspirational donation will keep that tradition alive for future generations of the communities we serve.”