Forcing taxpayers to subsidize free admission to the Baltimore Museum of Art and the Walters Art Museum is wrong.
It is wrong because these truly exceptional resources already are worth more than the $10 admission price.
It is wrong because tax dollars extorted from citizens must be used only for those things expressly and freely designated by the people.
It is wrong because hidden subsidies eventually devalue the perception of these institutions in the minds of the general public.
And it is wrong because, ultimately, three years of artificial life support, which easily could evaporate in hard times, will make the museums weak and more dependent on holding their hands out.
BMA and the Walters are more than city ornaments. The BMA?s collection of modern masters and the Walters? holdings, spanning 55 centuries, draw people from all over the world.
Their collected works, their cumulative knowledge and aggregate expertise are treasures beyond calculation.
What it means to all of us to have them here is astonishing. Shame on us for taking them for granted. We owe them our support.
But our support will bring them strength only if it is given freely.
Do not question the good intentions of officials in Baltimore City and County and Anne Arundel County for offering $800,000 to open the museums to everyone. Do not judge museum directors too harshly for accepting.
Harford, Howard and Carroll counties may step up next year. Thank you all.
But no thanks. These incredible museums can and should be as self-sustaining as possible.
Increased public subsidy will serve only to make that less likely. Easy money will stifle or slow innovative programs to draw more people into these temples of culture.
Certainly fine art must never be the exclusive domain of aristocrats. For that matter, why let the rich people in for free? They need no taxpayer subsidy.
Strong cultures grow from the bottom up and rot from the top down, so the collective benefits of exposure to genius must be shared by all.
The problem is this: Direct public subsidy is the worst way to share it.
Museums are not places to hang out. Art is not entertainment. Great art engages and challenges the mind. Art is work. And not the kind of work it takes to play “Halo” or “Madden NFL” on your computer. Art requires contemplation. That is its value.
We all have a duty to enhance appreciation of art without trivializing it.
BMA and Walters directors should follow the example of New York?s Museum of Modern Art. Two years ago MoMA shocked the art world by imposing a $20 admission fee.
At the same time, it launched an affordable membership structure ? and programs to ensure that all who wanted to see the collection could go.
Attendance is up. We must take on faith that appreciation is also.
The result is a stronger institution.
That is the strength BMA and the Walters must grow. Taking government handouts to eliminate admission charges is the wrong way to go.
