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YORK PUBLIC ART GALLERY SHOULD BE FREE OF CHARGE

523 Comments

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Andrew Street
10 years ago

It should be clear to YCC that the pricing policy is a disaster: the gallery was almost deserted when I visited today. £7:50 for a single visit will ensure that people stay away.

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CDL wilson
10 years ago

They are confusing stewardship with ownership.The gallery and contents are OURS.York people paid for it with their shoulders and their backs.They are in breech of the setting up agreements, and all promises since.

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Graham Parry
10 years ago

The charge is a great deterrent. People benefit from a short visit to liven up the mind, but they won't go if there's a high charge. Look how the number of visitors to the Yorkshire Museum fell off after the introduction of charges.

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Graham Parry
10 years ago

The charge is a great deterrent. People benefit from a short visit to liven up the mind, but they won't go if there's a high charge. Look how the number of visitors to the Yorkshire Museum fell off after the introduction of charges.

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Anonymous
10 years ago

I assume that everyone is aware that the cost of visiting the art gallery amounts to £11 for a WHOLE YEAR...the trouble is that there are too many people who belong to the 'I WANT IT...BUT I DON'T WANT TO PAY FOR IT' brigade. These are the same people who will go for a drink, go to the cinema, theatre, concert, do they expect all of these to be free. What about all the money which has been spent to bring such a wonderful art gallery to York? It's now a wonderful venue, if you are not prepared to pay £11 per year that's 3p per day then you don't deserve to have this wonderful facility!

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Elizabeth T Galloway
10 years ago

As a resident of York since 1978, as a home-owner, tax-payer, and art-lover, I think it a terrible loss to all people to levy a financial charge for access to York Art Gallery. Art by definition needs to be accessible, to be seen and appreciated, to qualify as "art". I think making art accessible for everyone, regardless of their financial situation, is terrifically important for us as a community, a culture, a city.

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Chris ceaser
10 years ago

Great gallery. Congrats to all involved but entry should be free imho

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George Pegasiou
10 years ago Featured

the gallery is a cultural institution for the people of York and should be free, or it risks becoming elitist and marginalising those it is intended to benefit. The Tate, National etc. are all free, this strengthens the North/South divide perception

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Anonymous
10 years ago

What has been considered our cultural heritage should never be only available if you can afford it !

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Julie Speedie
10 years ago

If they knew there was going to be a shortfall in funding, then why did they go ahead with an expensive (and no doubt not very necessary) programme of "reinvigoration"? Still, they'll probably come up with the usual excuse: "It comes out of a different budget".

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Lars Kramm
10 years ago

Thirteen years ago the council placed our museums and art gallery into a trust, asking it to maintain buildings and collections, to increase the number of visitors, and to ensure free access to York Art Gallery for residents – the art collection partly bought by tax-payers’ subsidy and partly donated by benefactors or artists who might have expected their donations and work to be freely available.

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nick kemp
10 years ago

Make it free

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el
10 years ago

ridiculous! let it be free and not just for those who can afford it! art should be accessible!

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Peter Fisher
10 years ago

Keeping admission free for York residents will encourage frequent visits on a casual, drop-in basis - the most enjoyable way of appreciating art. I doubt that many people are such lovers of art that they will want to pay the proposed admission charge more than once, if at all. At peak tourist times, York is in danger of being swamped by visitors and I feel that residents should enjoy some compensatory benefits, as is the case with other facilities where the York Card gives free or reduced admission. As with most other museums and galleries, charging for specific exhibitions is acceptable, but not to view the permanent collection, already owned by the citizens of York.

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Anonymous
10 years ago

Do not equate the opportunity to experience culture with the ability to pay high admission fees

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Anonymous
10 years ago

Art should be for everyone.

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robert bennett
10 years ago

Should be free

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Louise Brooke
10 years ago

we need to keep art open for all to appreciate, though if you do need to charge to maintain this beautiful building keep it real, then people would make it a regular visit and not just that for the tourists!

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Anne Baik
10 years ago

I lived in lovely York for 7 years and loved going to York Public Art Gallery - it should be free for all to visit.

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Anonymous
10 years ago

Public art for the people. You will cut out a whole section of society currently struggling from very necessary soul food.