Guggenheim Museum Announces Free Admission for Students, Faculty, and Staff at Five CUNY Schools Made Possible by the Stavros Niarchos Foundation

The Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum now offers free admission for City University of New York students and staff from Brooklyn College, Hunter College, Lehman College, Queens College, and College of Staten Island through the museum’s University Membership pilot program. Made possible solely through a grant from the Stavros Niarchos Foundation (SNF), this new program covers two full academic school years, from fall 2018 through summer 2020. Students, faculty, and staff from participating schools may obtain tickets for themselves and a guest by presenting their university ID at the museum’s Admissions or Membership desks.

The Guggenheim’s pilot University Membership program is designed to provide over 100,000 New York City college students with increased opportunities to connect with and enjoy the Guggenheim’s acclaimed collection of modern and contemporary art, dynamic exhibition offerings, and the iconic architecture of the museum’s Frank Lloyd Wright–designed building.

Richard Armstrong, Director, Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum and Foundation, said, “We are grateful for this catalytic gift from the Stavros Niarchos Foundation to activate a program that encourages students and staff members from participating CUNY schools to engage with the Guggenheim’s many offerings. Expanding and diversifying our audience is a key priority for the museum, and we are delighted to present more opportunities for area college students.”

“The Stavros Niarchos Foundation has focused over the years on, among other initiatives, encouraging the establishment of a broader and more diverse audience at cultural organizations through a number of accessibility grants. We are proud to support free admission at the Guggenheim Museum for students at five CUNY schools as part of a larger effort to make world-renowned cultural institutions more accessible to all,” said Kira Pritchard, Program Officer at the SNF. “The Guggenheim offers a dynamic and thought-provoking program and collection of modern and contemporary art, which will reach more students across the city through this grant.”

The Stavros Niarchos Foundation (SNF) (www.snf.org) is one of the world’s leading private, international philanthropic organizations, making grants to nonprofit organizations in the areas of arts and culture, education, health and sports, and social welfare. Since 1996 the foundation has committed more than $2.6 billion, through more than 4,000 grants, to nonprofit organizations in 124 nations around the world.

The SNF funds organizations and projects, worldwide, that aim to achieve a broad, lasting, and positive impact for society at large, and exhibit strong leadership and sound management. The foundation also supports projects that facilitate the formation of public-private partnerships as an effective means for serving public welfare.

Founded in 1937, the Solomon R. Guggenheim Foundation is dedicated to promoting the understanding and appreciation of art, primarily of the modern and contemporary periods, through exhibitions, education programs, research initiatives, and publications. The Guggenheim constellation of museums that began in the 1970s when the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum, New York, was joined by the Peggy Guggenheim Collection, Venice, has since expanded to include the Guggenheim Museum Bilbao (opened 1997) and the Guggenheim Abu Dhabi (currently in development). The Guggenheim Foundation continues to forge international collaborations that celebrate contemporary art, architecture, and design within and beyond the walls of the museum, including the Guggenheim Social Practice initiative, Guggenheim UBS MAP Global Art Initiative, and The Robert H. N. Ho Family Foundation Chinese Art Initiative. More information about the Solomon R. Guggenheim Foundation can be found at guggenheim.org.

Museum Hours: Sun–Wed, 10 am–5:45 pm; Fri, 10 am–5:45 pm; Sat, 10 am–7:45 pm; closed Thurs. On Saturdays, beginning at 5 pm, the museum hosts Pay What You Wish. For general information, call 212 423 3500 or visit the museum online at guggenheim.org.