Hudson River Museum to Join Association of Art Museum Directors’ Eighth Annual Celebration of Art Museum Day

YONKERS, NY, May 16, 2017 — The Hudson River Museum announced today that for the first time, it will offer free admission on Thursday, May 18, 2017 as part of the Association of Art Museum Directors’ (AAMD) Art Museum Day. Last year, 175 AAMD member museums across North America—participated in Art Museum Day.

The theme of this year’s Art Museum Day is Art Museums Foster Vibrant Communities. AAMD members across the U.S., Canada, and Mexico will be offering programs and initiatives to celebrate the arts and the important role art museums play in their communities. In addition to bringing the best of human creativity to people across North America, museums serve as engines for the creative economy, partners with school systems and civic organizations, and anchors for public spaces and neighborhoods, making their regions better places for everyone who lives and works there.

This year, The Hudson River Museum also invites visitors to share their experiences on Art Museum Day via social media, with the hashtag #ArtMuseumDay.

“It’s wonderful to be participating in AAMD’s Art Museum Day,” says HRM Director Masha Turchinsky. “It’s an excellent way to shine a light on how important museums are to their communities. At the Hudson River Museum, we offer our visitors the opportunity to learn about and engage with art, science, and history in a beautiful setting along the banks of the Hudson River. This year’s theme of “Fostering Vibrant Communities” could not be better suited to the HRM, where we welcome audiences of all ages and backgrounds through our doors each day.”

“The arts are shared by people across every time period and every place—creativity is a vital part of what makes us human and what makes our cities and towns better places to live,” said Chris Anagnos, Executive Director of AAMD. “On Art Museum Day, museums across North America invite everyone to come together with their families, friends, and neighbors to celebrate that creative spirit, connect in common experiences, and see new points of view. AAMD greatly appreciates Hudson River Museum’s participation in Art Museum Day, and the contributions all art museums make to the vibrancy, economy, and strength of their communities.”

AAMD represents 245 art museums across the United States, Canada, and Mexico—from regional museums in small towns to large museums in major urban centers. International Museum Day is organized annually around the world by the International Council of Museums (ICOM). AAMD’s Art Museum Day is an opportunity to focus attention on the role of art museums in North America, as part of ICOM’s global celebration.

A comprehensive list of participating AAMD member art museums will be available on the AAMD website. Note that while AAMD’s Art Museum Day and ICOM’s International Museum Day are formally held each year on May 18, some institutions shift their celebrations to adjacent dates.