More than a dozen area museums and cultural institutions are seizing an opportunity to expose the arts to more people. At least 15 such organizations across Western New York are participating in this year's National Museum Day.Anyone who goes to the Smithsonian Magazine website can download a free ticket for admission for two people to the museum of their choosing. Buffalo Mayor Byron Brown says it's a good way to draw people to culturals who might not normally go.
"These are people that might not ordinarily go to a museum or cultural institution, but the fact that they were free on that day exposed new audiences to the phenomenal culturals that we have in this community," Brown said at a Monday afternoon news conference on the steps of City Hall.
Tod Kniazuk, executive director of the Arts Services Initiative of Western New York, says Museum Day falls in line with his group's mission of "arts for everyone."
"We really want to send the message out that the cultural community in Western New York is very committed to access, not only on this one great day, but year-round," Kniazuk said.
Knizuk says patrons who visit a museum for the first time often end up coming back
"We have seen a number of new people come to our organizations thanks to this and some of those have turned into repeat visitors," he added.
Museum Day is Saturday, September 26. This is the second year for the event in Western New York. Last year, it drew more than 2,500 visitors.
The following museums and cultural institutions are taking part in the 2015 event, as of Monday:
- Albright-Knox Art Gallery
- Buffalo Harbor Museum/Lower Lakes Marine Historical Society
- Buffalo History Museum
- Buffalo Niagara Heritage Village
- Burchfield Penney Art Center
- Colored Musicians Club Jazz Museum
- Erie Canal Discovery Center
- Fenton History Center
- Herschell Carrousel Factory Museum
- Lucy-Desi Museum and Center for Comedy
- Museum of DisABILITY History
- Nash House Museum
- Niagara County Historical Society/The History Center
- Roger Tory Peterson Institute of Natural History
- Steel Plant Museum of Western New York
- Theodore Roosevelt National Inaugural Historic Site
WBFO's Avery Schneider contributed to this report.
