While a move approved yesterday to increase ticket prices by 50 percent at two premiere San Francisco museums might be seen as something of an art heist, the de Young Museum and Legion of Honor are framing the situation as more of a Robin Hood deal thing.
The Chronicle writes that the trustees who oversee the Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco, institutions owned and operated by the city and county, are justifying the coming price hike — from $10 to $15 for general admission — by arguing that the increased revenue will balance out a number of offerings.
Those include free first Tuesdays, which are offered monthly at both museums, and access days, which grant free admission to people with disabilities on Mondays when the museum is closed to the general public.
The pièce de résistance? Following the example of SFMOMA, which will begin the practice when it opens on May 14, children under 18 will be admitted for free. In the past, tickets for minors were $6.
Senior admission will also rise, from $7 to $10. Museum members, who pay an annual fee, will still receive free access at current prices. All ticket price changes go into effect on July 1.
Nonetheless, the trustees note, admission to the de Young and Legion of Honor will remain cheaper than admission to SFMOMA: $25 general admission and $22 for seniors.
Meanwhile, the museums' board will meet — very quietly, to be sure — to go over an investigation by state Attorney General Kamala Harris into a severance package provided to a retired engineer. That bit of unflattering attention was brought on by Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco President Dede Wilsey, who cut the check, and most recently, the retired engineer, who was married to a friend and employee of Wilsey's, died in Oakland, complicating matters somewhat.
Related: Oh Dear, Dede: Recipient Of Contested deYoung Payment Dies, Prompting New Call For Reimbursement
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