MoNA cuts entrance fee, expands outreach

While the Museum of Northwest Art has been a fixture in the local community for more than 30 years, it now aims to enrich its support to more communities and audiences outside the museum.

Changes have already happened this year to gear the museum to the shift in focus: the mission statement was rewritten, outreach programs to youth and senior groups were broadened and the admission fee was eliminated. Now everyone can see museum exhibits for free.

“We really wanted to reach more of the community,” said Museum Director Christopher Shainin. “The aim was to attract and engage more diversity from the community. We wanted to get people in the museum that might not have before.”

Since the admission fee was cut March 1, docents and staff have collected entrance surveys to take a snapshot of the museum’s new audience members.

More in the Sept. 3 issue