MoMA PS 1, the Museum of Modern Art’s affiliate in Long Island City, Queens, announced Wednesday that it had received a grant to give free admission to the art center for a year to New York City residents.
The grant, from the Anna-Maria and Stephen Kellen Foundation, a philanthropy based in Manhattan, will take effect on Oct. 11, opening day for the latest edition of “Greater New York,” PS 1’s survey of artists who work in or around the city. Klaus Biesenbach, PS1’s director, said that the center saw itself “as a citizen of all five boroughs with a proud base in Queens. This gift is made in honor of all New York City artists as it also marks the occasion of MoMA PS1’s 40th anniversary in 2016.”
PS1’s admission charge, $10 for adults, is only suggested. But Mr. Biesenbach said that the grant nonetheless would “help our outreach and lower the threshold to enter our art space.” A spokeswoman for PS1 said that the terms of the grant did not permit disclosure of the grant’s size and that the center does not release figures showing how much it generates per year from admission fees from New York City residents.
The grant will offer free entrance for all New Yorkers to all exhibitions – but not to concerts, performances, fund-raisers and ticketed events – during regular hours through Oct. 15, 2016; visitors will be eligible for complimentary admission by presenting proof of city residency, such as a driver’s license, identification card or utility bill.