Hudson River Museum is Awarded Funding from Art Bridges Foundation’s ‘Access for All’ Initiative to Reduce Barriers to Museum Visits
YONKERS, NY, October 23, 2023—The Hudson River Museum is proud to announce that it has been selected as one of 64 museums nationwide by the Art Bridges Foundation, the national arts nonprofit founded by philanthropist Alice Walton, for the newly launched “Access for All” initiative. Providing $40 million in funding to institutions that span 36 states and Puerto Rico, Access for All aims to increase access and foster engagement with local communities by covering the costs of free admission days and expanded free hours as well as programming, outreach, and community partnerships that together, will eliminate many common barriers to access.
As part of this initiative, the HRM has been awarded $400,000 over three years, which will be used to support Free First Fridays, with free admission to the Museum the first Friday of each month, along with robust programming that includes concerts under our Planetarium dome, innovative music and dance offerings in our galleries, live painting nights, outdoor performances and classes in our courtyard, and a new residency program for community-based arts groups. The grant will also help support programs such as Teen Nights hosted by our award-winning Junior Docents, which will be open to high school students throughout Westchester County free of charge.
HRM’s inaugural Free First Fridays will take place on Friday, December 1, 5–8pm, a celebration of the holiday season featuring live music by Diverse Concert Artists, committed to changing the face of classical and crossover music through diversity. The string quartet will play a mixture of classical, Broadway, pop tunes and Hip Hop, setting the tone to enjoy our current exhibitions and our Gilded Age historic home, Glenview, decorated in Victorian holiday splendor.
“We are deeply honored to be selected as one of the recipients of Access for All and grateful to Alice Walton and Art Bridges for their exceptional and continued support of our mission,” stated Hudson River Museum Director and CEO Masha Turchinsky. “This transformative funding builds on our strategic goals to make the Museum a destination that is welcoming, innovative, and a true reflection of our diverse community.”
“Everyone, no matter where they live, deserves access to art. That’s why we started Art Bridges: to support museums in deepening their connections with local communities, and to pave the way for new audiences to experience the creativity and joy that comes with seeing art,” said Alice Walton, founder and board chair of Art Bridges. “Access for All is our biggest and most ambitious effort to date, dedicating $40 million toward bridging gaps between museums of all sizes and their communities in order to foster meaningful connections and expand arts access in every region, from Peoria to Puerto Rico.”
Generous support provided by Art Bridges Foundation’s Access for All program.
Press contact:
Jeana Wunderlich
jwunderlich@hrm.org
(914) 963-4550 x240
Samantha Hoover
shoover@hrm.org
(914) 963-4550 x216
Image: Visitors at Un/Natural Selections: Wildlife in Contemporary Art, an exhibition organized by the National Museum of Wildlife Art, on view through January 14, 2024. Photo by Jason Green.
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The Hudson River Museum is a preeminent cultural institution in Westchester County and the New York metropolitan area. Situated on the banks of the Hudson River in Yonkers, New York, the HRM’s mission is to engage, inspire, and connect diverse communities through the power of the arts, sciences, and history.
The Museum offers engaging experiences for every age and interest, with an ever-evolving collection of American art and dynamic exhibitions that range from notable nineteenth-century paintings to contemporary art installations. The HRM’s new West Wing offers sweeping views of the Hudson River in dedicated exhibition galleries. The campus also includes Glenview, an 1877 house on the National Register of Historic Places; a state-of-the-art Planetarium; an environmental teaching gallery; and an outdoor Amphitheater. Accredited by the American Association of Museums (AAM), the Museum is dedicated to collecting, preserving, exhibiting, and interpreting these multidisciplinary offerings, which are complemented by an array of public programs that encourage creative expression, collaboration, and artistic and scientific discovery.
Hours and Admission: Hudson River Museum is open to the public Thursday–Friday, 12–5pm, Saturday–Sunday, 11am–5pm. Mask wearing and COVID-19 vaccination are no longer required, but are recommended for all visitors. Learn more and purchase tickets at hrm.org/visit.
General Admission: Adults $13; Youth (3–18) $8; Seniors (62+) $9; Students (with valid ID) $9; Veterans $9; Children (under 3) FREE; Members FREE; Museums for All* $2, *SNAP/EBT card with photo ID (up to 4 people). Planetarium tickets: Adults $7; Youth (3–18) $5; Seniors (62+) $6; Students (with valid ID) $6; Veterans $6; Children (under 3) Free. Glenview tours: Adults $7; Youth (3–18) $5; Seniors (62+) $6; Students (with valid ID) $6; Veterans $6; Children (under 3) Free. The Museum is accessible by Metro-North (Hudson Line—Yonkers and Glenview stations), by Bee-Line Bus Route #1, by car, and by bike. Make your visit a One-Day Getaway, and buy a combined rail and admission discount ticket. Learn more about Metro-North Deals & Getaways.
