Open Forum

Hi all,

I am conducting research on how visitors make use of the free and accessible public spaces within museums, and I am on the hunt for museums that have such spaces! These spaces would facilitate unprogrammed public access and allow visitors the flexibility to use these spaces for their own purposes (lunch, work, community gatherings, etc.). These public spaces might be lobbies, courtyards, atriums, etc. I am not too particular about the form that these spaces may take, just that they are museum spaces that are widely accessible by the public for their own use!

If you know of any museums that have such spaces and could point me in their direction, I would very much appreciate it! Thank you in advance for all and any help!

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Kelly Linhardt
Student
Museology Graduate Program - University of Washington
Seattle, WA
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Hi Kelly, 

These are just a few examples that come to mind:

• Oakland Museum of California's gardens: https://museumca.org/on-view/garden/
• The de Young Museum's lobby, observation tower, and sculpture garden all have free public access. https://deyoung.famsf.org/
• The ICA Boston's grandstand is a large public seating area overlooking the water -- see photos https://www.icaboston.org/about/our-building
• The Heard Museum in Phoenix has a public courtyard. 
• The Exploratorium has outdoor exhibits available to the public, including Middle Ground, which is a really interesting project: https://www.exploratorium.edu/visit/calendar/middle-ground

You might also find some interesting examples in the Fall 2021 issue of the Exhibition journal, which you can read online: https://www.name-aam.org/exhibition_fall-2021
 
Best,
Tamara 


 



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Tamara Schwarz
Principal, Swiftwing Studio
Exhibition Development & Interpretive Planning
OAKLAND CA
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Hi Kelly,

Many museums in Alabama are free. I work at the Montgomery Museum of Fine Arts and we do not charge admission. Our Sculpture Garden is regularly used by visitors for lunch and community gatherings, though we ask notice for groups more than 10 people. The Birmingham Museum of Art also does not charge admission and has several spaces, though I'm not sure to what degree they are regularly used by the public without any charge. 

Hope this helps!

Sarah Graves
Manager of Visitor Engagement, Montgomery Museum of Fine Arts
sgraves@mmfa.org

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Sarah Graves PhD
Visitor Experience Manager
Montgomery Museum of Fine Arts
Montgomery AL
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Hi Kelly,

I agree with Sarah's comment below about free museums. They are most likely, in my 25+ years' experience with more than 400 cultural institutions in the U.S. that they might fit the criteria you are looking for. Check on Science Center in St. Louis, California Science Center, Music Museum in Scottdale, AZ and I also agree with Tamara's listing below as I have been to and/or worked with most of those institutions. I 'think' you can add SFMOMA (Sculpture Garden) and Asian Art Museum in San Francisco too. 

Hope the above added institutions are helpful.

Any other information, please feel free to call or email me at signature email address below.

Thanks,
Art

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Art Manask
Founder/Principal
Art Manask Consulting
artmanask@gmail.com
818 358-3588
www.artmanaskconsulting.com
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Hi Kelly,
The Nelson Atkins Museum in Kansas City, MO has a great public sculpture garden and lawn that is widely used by the community. In the nice weather you will often see families there, picnics, and the occasional community organized water gun fight. There are also museum scheduled events such as movie nights, festivals, and private events. Its so expansive that there's always people doing their own thing there.

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Chloe Willett
Exhibition Coordinator
American Jazz Museum
Kansas City MO
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Hello Kelly,

The Hawaiʻi State Art Museum is located in a state office building in downtown Honolulu, which includes a front lawn, courtyard, and Sculpture Garden. Museum admission is free and the grounds are open to the public during building hours. Some office workers like to take their lunch breaks in the courtyard or in the Sculpture Garden, where tables and chairs are available. You can contact Scott Young, Museum Services Manager, at (808) 586-9959 or Scott.M.Young@hawaii.gov.

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Mamiko Carroll
Information Specialist
Hawaii State Art Museum
Honolulu HI
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Original Message:
Sent: 11-09-2022 01:13 PM
From: Chloe Willett
Subject: Seeking Museums with Public Spaces

Hi Kelly,
The Nelson Atkins Museum in Kansas City, MO has a great public sculpture garden and lawn that is widely used by the community. In the nice weather you will often see families there, picnics, and the occasional community organized water gun fight. There are also museum scheduled events such as movie nights, festivals, and private events. Its so expansive that there's always people doing their own thing there.

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Chloe Willett
Exhibition Coordinator
American Jazz Museum
Kansas City MO
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Kelly --

Poulsbo Historical Society has an open lawn on the campus between the Heritage and Maritime museums.  Our Visitors Center in the Maritime Museum has a couple of chairs in for anyone needing to rest their feet.  And the Maritime's restroom is open to the public.  You'd be most welcome to come check this out, if you like! We're also interested in making meeting spaces more accessible to the broader community and would love to see your research when you're finished!

Mary Ann Acosta

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Mary Ann Acosta
Acting Executive Director
Poulsbo Historical Society
Poulsbo WA
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Original Message:
Sent: 11/9/2022 2:16:00 PM
From: Mary Ann Acosta
Subject: RE: Seeking Museums with Public Spaces

Kelly --

Poulsbo Historical Society has an open lawn on the campus between the Heritage and Maritime museums.  Our Visitors Center in the Maritime Museum has a couple of chairs in for anyone needing to rest their feet.  And the Maritime's restroom is open to the public.  You'd be most welcome to come check this out, if you like! We're also interested in making meeting spaces more accessible to the broader community and would love to see your research when you're finished!

Mary Ann Acosta

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Mary Ann Acosta
Acting Executive Director
Poulsbo Historical Society
Poulsbo WA
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Hello Kelly,

I see folks have shared a number of public spaces (lobbies, gardens, etc) available free to all. Here is an interesting variant: the San Angelo Museum of Fine Arts (Texas) maintains the Coop Gallery, an exhibition space available for rent by any artist, for a nominal fee, and free to Angelo State students, "nonprofit and nonpartisan groups", and K-12 classroom teachers. https://www.samfa.org/coop-gallery

I would be very interested in learning about other museum program spaces that can be reserved and used for free by individuals and groups.

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Elizabeth Merritt
VP Strategic Foresight & Founding Director, CFM
American Alliance of Museums
Arlington VA
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The Virginia Museum of Fine Art in Richmond has a well used and love open air, public sculpture garden.  Their lobby and restaurant are also accessible to the public and well used.

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Julia Beabout
CEO, Creative Director
Seattle WA
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