LOCAL NEWS:

"Free Fall Baltimore" Features Free Museum Admission

SOURCE: Baltimore Office of Promotion & The Arts

Starting in October, Baltimore will join the ranks of a small number of major cities that offer free admission year-round.

Free Fall Baltimore, a new arts initiative and cultural tourism program created to make art and culture more accessible to area residents and visitors, will take place in October and November and feature free cultural programs, such as performances and classes, by area attractions and art institutions. The highlight of this two-month initiative will be the elimination of admission fees by The Baltimore Museum of Art and the Walters Art Museum. This gift to the public, which will extend beyond the "Free Fall" promotion, has been made possible by government grants from Baltimore City and Baltimore County, with support from Anne Arundel County.

As part of Free Fall Baltimore, approximately $750,000 in additional grant money from Baltimore City is being made available to organizations to help underwrite free admissions, programs, workshops and performances. Organizations are encouraged to apply for grants ranging from $1,000 to $30,000.

With the elimination of admission fees at the city's two world-class museums, Baltimore will join the ranks of a small number of major cities that offer free admission year-round to its top museums.

The Free Fall Baltimore announcement took place in Druid Hill Park at the Howard Peters Rawlings Conservatory & Botanic Gardens, one of the city’s oldest cultural attractions. Joining Mayor O’Malley were Baltimore County Executive Jim Smith, Anne Arundel County Executive Janet Owens, Baltimore City Council President Sheila Dixon, Board Chair for The Baltimore Museum of Art Suzanne Cohen, and President of the Board for the Walters Art Museum Bill Paternotte. Students from Baltimore School for the Arts and the Carver Center for Arts & Technology gave performances during the press conference.

Free Fall Baltimore is coordinated by the Baltimore Office of Promotion & The Arts in partnership with the Baltimore Area Convention & Visitors Association, Greater Baltimore Cultural Alliance, The Baltimore Museum of Art, the Walters Art Museum and other public and private organizations. To keep the public informed on the list of fall activities and programs, a special web site will be launched in July. Meanwhile, for more information contact the Baltimore Office of Promotion & The Arts at 410-752-8632 or visit promotionandarts.com.

Copyright © 2006 The Baltimore Chronicle. All rights reserved.

Republication or redistribution of Baltimore Chronicle content is expressly prohibited without their prior written consent.

This story was published on May 31, 2006.