WKU News

On May 18, the Kentucky Museum launched a new campaign to kick off the Museum for All Fund, an endowed initiative to ensure perpetual free admission at the Museum. Since 2019, the Kentucky Museum has been free to all visitors, thanks to a pilot program funded by the E. Rhodes and Leona B. Carpenter Foundation.

“During the past three years, we have seen the incredible impact of free admission,” stated Brent Bjorkman, the Museum’s Director. “In the first year, 2019, our in-person visitation grew by 45%. Despite the COVID-19 shutdown in 2020, we welcomed over 20,000 virtual and appointment-based visitors. This past year, 2021, we reopened to the public and welcomed over 30,000 online and in person visitors.”

Building on the success of the pilot program, the Museum for All Fund will provide equitable access to arts and culture for the South-Central Kentucky community, where one in three families experience poverty. “While admission fees may seem modest to some, even $20 can be the difference between dinner and starvation for struggling families,” stated Tiffany Isselhardt, the Museum’s Development Manager. “By eliminating that barrier, we ensure that every Kentuckian can experience the myriad benefits of museums.”

The campaign hopes to achieve $10,000 by June 17 to establish the endowment, followed by collaborative and major gifts to grow it to $450,000 or more.

Once established, the Museum for All Fund will provide revenue traditionally gathered through paid admission. That revenue supports initiatives such as diversifying collections, offering paid internships and graduate assistantships to WKU students, ensuring equitable honorariums for guest curators and speakers, supporting faculty- and student-produced exhibitions, and ensuring a living wage for the Museum team.

Gifts are tax deductible and can be made online now here.

Gifts can be made through one-time, multi-year or planned estate giving. For questions or more information, please contact Tiffany Isselhardt at 270-745-3369.

About Kentucky Museum

The Kentucky Museum is an integral part of WKU’s campus and the South-Central Kentucky community. The Museum actively supports the academic and cultural goals of WKU while providing quality educational experiences and opportunities to engage with Kentucky’s heritage and our relevance in a global society. 

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