Albany Museum of Art Will Begin Offering Free Memberships
Thursday, May 4th, 2023
On July 1, 2023, the Albany Museum of Art will begin the conversion of its membership system to a new annual fund-based model, a process that will be fully implemented by July 1, 2024.
“We are deeply appreciative of all our members and look forward to this transformational shift from membership to donorship, making all who support the AMA patrons of the arts,” AMA Executive Director Andrew J. Wulf, Ph.D., said.
“We are adopting a system that we feel will better meet the needs of the museum and our supporters,” Director for Development and Membership Chloe Hinton said. “We know that all of our members are strong, dedicated supporters of the AMA who value the arts to our community.
“These contributions are the lifeblood of the AMA, enabling us to offer free admission to the AMA, free field trips for schools, and scholarships to our art camps. With our new model, these vital donations from our generous supporters will be 100% tax deductible.”
Under the new system, joining the AMA will be free upon request. As a Friend of the AMA, the member will receive a digital membership card and emails containing the AMA’s Sunday evening newsletter and information about upcoming events. Friends also will be able to access AMA Magazine online.
New levels start with the Artist Guild for an annual donation of up to $124. Donors reach the Reciprocal level at $125, Contributor at $250, Enthusiast at $500, Advocate at $1,000, Champion at $2,500, and Philanthropist at $5,000.
At each of these levels, donors receive additional benefits, such as free mailed copies of the recently redesigned AMA Magazine; free admission to events, including opening receptions for exhibitions and artists; a seat at the executive director’s annual The Year in Art luncheon; discounts on camps, workshops, and rentals, and free or reduced admission to hundreds of museums across the United States.
“There will be new perks for donors at each of the different levels of support,” Hinton said. “They are a way to say thank you for the generosity of those who believe in our mission of building a strong, more unified community through art. Without their continuing advocacy, we could not bring the art of the world to the South and take the art of the South to the world.”
AMA supporters whose memberships are set to renew before July 1 will be grandfathered into the current system for another year, she said. By July 1, 2024, all memberships will be migrated to the Friend + Support model.
“We are working to make this changeover as smooth as possible,” Hinton said. “My goal is that the only thing anyone will notice is the advantages they enjoy at each support level.”
