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Museum in Ft Myers

  • 1.  Museum in Ft Myers

    Posted 02-25-2023 09:18 PM
    Vacationing in Ft Myers.
    Went to the Thomas Edison and Henry Ford Museum.
    They refused to honor my American Alliance of Museums card!
    The representative had no knowledge of the existence of our organization!
    However, numerous museums in NY are part of their discount admission policy. They only participate in the North American Reciprocal Museum Association (NARM) as well as the American Horticultural Society (AHS).
    Thought this information would be of interest to AAM.
    Member ID 300667
    Sincerely,
    Roslyn Persky

    Sent from my iPhone


  • 2.  RE: Museum in Ft Myers

    Posted 02-27-2023 05:57 AM

    AAM has largely abandoned support for the courtesy membership benefit (invisible in their website), particularly since a publication for seniors touted an AAM retiree membership as a hack for getting into museums free. I agree it's a shame. I'm planning a trip and counting on NARM, ASTC, and gardens reciprocal membership benefits. In contrast, in Europe, most major museums honor my ICOM card.



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    Laura Roberts
    Principal
    Roberts Consulting
    Cambridge MA
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  • 3.  RE: Museum in Ft Myers

    Posted 02-27-2023 07:15 AM
    I think it's important to remember that this benefit was never mandatory for member museums. They participated on a voluntary basis and each member decided when and how to allow courtesy admissions. 

    DIANE GUTENKAUF
    Senior Assistant Director, Operations & Strategy
     
    University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign
    College of Fine and Applied Arts
    Krannert Art Museum
    500 East Peabody Drive | M/C 592
    Champaign, IL 61820
    217-333-3437 | dianeg3@illinois.edu
    kam.illinois.edu
     


    Under the Illinois Freedom of Information Act any written communication to or from university employees regarding university business is a public record and may be subject to public disclosure. 



    Original Message


  • 4.  RE: Museum in Ft Myers

    Posted 02-28-2023 09:11 AM
    As far as I remember (and someone can correct me), The Henry Ford has not honored the AAM membership for decades. Many other museums still do. 


    Susan J. Bandes
    Professor Emerita of Art History and Museum Studies
    Department of Art, Art History and Design
    Michigan State University
    East Lansing, MI 48824
    517-775-0582




    Original Message


  • 5.  RE: Museum in Ft Myers

    Posted 02-27-2023 06:19 AM

    No surprise here. NARM is intended to serve those with personal supporting memberships in over 1,000 participating museums, with those museums signing on to honor visiting family memberships as their own. AAM membership is for professional members in a professional context. I recall a bit of a row a few years ago when the fee for AAM retired members was changed, so as to not be considered and used as a "master pass" to other institutions. The rationale made sense then, and still does.

    I'm impressed that Edison and Ford participates in NARM, and I hope you enjoyed your visit there anyway. Thank you for vacationing in our area - we can use all the support we can get after Hurricane Ian.



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    John Wharton
    Museum Docent &
    Retired Museum Professional
    Bonita Springs FL
    http://linkedin.com/in/john-wharton-9629149
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  • 6.  RE: Museum in Ft Myers

    Posted 02-27-2023 11:16 AM
    It’s my understanding that AAM no longer expects reciprocal admissions for its members at affiliated institutions.

    James Bryant
    SOJOURN Science - Nature - Education
    Santa Fe, NM
    https://www.linkedin.com/in/james-bryant-0598a940/




  • 7.  RE: Museum in Ft Myers

    Posted 02-27-2023 11:46 AM
    In fact, from the AAM website: https://www.aam-us.org/programs/membership/frequently-asked-questions-faqs/


    Museum Admission

    Does AAM membership include free or discounted admission to museums? Are you a museum pass program? What museums can I get into?

    No, admissions to museums is not a member benefit. The Alliance is an association for museums and museum professionals. Since 1906, we have been championing museums through advocacy and providing museum professionals with the resources, knowledge, inspiration, and connections they need to move the field forward.

    Although some museums may extend a professional courtesy to our members, we are not a reciprocal program, and free or discounted museum admission is not one of our member benefits. Every museum maintains its own pricing policies and we have no agreement with any museum regarding admission. If you are interested in free or discounted museum admission for museums that you frequently visit, we recommend that you purchase a membership directly from those museums.

    ________________________________

    Laura B. Roberts
    1715 Cambridge Street
    Cambridge MA 02138
    617.640.0015












    Original Message


  • 8.  RE: Museum in Ft Myers

    Posted 02-28-2023 06:42 AM
    I have received numerous free admission passes to museums with my AAM card. Just recently, the Met, Guggenheim, Cooper Hewitt, the Frick at the old Whitney Museum and Parrish Art. In Boston; the MFA and ICA and Isabella Stewart Gardner. In Philly, the PMA, the Rodin. Perhaps, bigger museums are honoring the AAM card. And since Ft Myers suffered so much loss from Hurricane Ian they may not be able to afford giving away admission.

    Sent from my iPhone


    Original Message


  • 9.  RE: Museum in Ft Myers

    Posted 03-01-2023 08:28 AM
    I find this discussion interesting.   I'm now retired,  but was for decades the director of very small museums with lean staffing and financial resources. 

    When "colleagues" appeared wanting to enter without fee, often presenting membership cards from a variety of regional museum service organizations which were not on our reciprocal list,  as well as AAM, my front-of-house staff frequently called me to ask for guidance.

    I always felt it was wise to allow them in and frequently would try to come down to greet them.   In my opinion, the goodwill and collegiality gained was invaluable. 

    I realize that larger museums usually are not as flexible,  but I offer this thought to the field. 

    I've often found that for-profit museums tend to be less flexible. 



    Original Message


  • 10.  RE: Museum in Ft Myers

    Posted 03-02-2023 11:57 AM
    I share Vivian Zoe’s interest in this discussion. Reflecting on the topic, I’ve never been so gratified as when I’ve been spontaneously welcomed at an institution when simply dropping by - as a tourist, but nevertheless a traveling museum professional. At personal and professional levels, the sharing that’s taken place on each occasion gave these visits a far greater dimension than would otherwise have occurred. I’d like to think AAM’s approach to reciprocal admissions was originally intended to inspire communication and collaboration. Perhaps this could be refreshed as a way to encourage all members to identify themselves as museum professionals when casually visiting their colleague's museums.

    James Bryant
    SOJOURN Science - Nature - Education
    Santa Fe, NM
    https://www.linkedin.com/in/james-bryant-0598a940/


    Original Message


  • 11.  RE: Museum in Ft Myers

    Posted 02-28-2023 08:43 AM

    Perhaps you should consider getting a membership and support these museums which are struggling financially and want to maximize revenue after the massive hurricane from last year. 



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    Juan Almeciga
    Membership Coordinator
    Lowe Art Museum University of Miami
    Coral Gables FL
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    Original Message


  • 12.  RE: Museum in Ft Myers

    Posted 03-02-2023 11:44 AM

    AAM has no "discount admissions policy." There is zero expectation that presenting an AAM card will get you in anywhere for free, though it often does.



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    Sean Mobley
    Social Media Specialist
    The Museum of Flight
    Seattle WA
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  • 13.  RE: Museum in Ft Myers

    Posted 03-03-2023 08:28 AM

    I remember visiting a museum in Texas during COVID and they had a minimum number of tickets each day due to restrictions. I was there to do a walk through for a meeting about upgrading their technology, I insisted that we pay the admission since we were taking up two of their valuable spots. I too would encourage people to not even try to gain free entry to institutions as the vast majority are still trying to recover from the pandemic. Every penny counts.  



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    Brian Norris
    Senior Project Manager
    Bowen Technovation
    Indianapolis IN
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