HAVALAH GRACE: Director of Accessibility

Why Free Art for All?

I remember visiting San Francisco once when I was young. One of the art museums there had an exhibit showcasing one of my favorite artists. I had always want to see her work live, and when I got to the ticket booth, I realized that I could not afford to get in. Not even close. I was dumbfounded. I was so upset and thought, “Who says only some can experience art first hand, and who decides that I am not worthy to see art?”

As I got older, I realized how typical my art experience was.  What’s even funnier is how many theatrical shows have characters that in real life would never be able to afford seeing the play about their own lives. Where are the checks and balances? If art is about all of us, and we cannot make it accessible to all, aren’t we exploiters? We must be held accountable for our work; avoid elitism.

More than that, art changes lives, gives us voices, provides dreams, and challenges us. Why would we want to limit that experience?