York Art Gallery is set to reopen with FREE entry

York Art Gallery and York Castle Museum will reopen on Yorkshire Day (August 1), with the added bonus of free entry into York Art Gallery. 

The charity York Museums Trust, which runs the gallery, hope that removing admission charges on a trial basis will lead to higher visitor numbers and increased diversity. The gallery will still be supported by donations and tickets to special exhibitions. 

If successful, this new way of opening the gallery will allow the Trust to continue to offer free entry to its permanent collections, Centre of Ceramic Art and Aesthetica Art Prize exhibition throughout the year.

Initially, the gallery will be free in support of the citywide Our Heroes Welcome Campaign.

From August 20, the permanent collections Centre of Ceramic Art and Aesthetica Art Prize will be free to all, while two new exhibitions, Views of York & Yorkshire and Your Art Gallery: Paintings Chosen By You will introduce a new paying concept of ‘pay as you feel’ with suggested amounts.

Reyahn King, chief executive of York Museums Trust, said: “The COVID-19 pandemic has had a huge financial impact on many different organisations, including museums and galleries. For York Museums Trust, who are so dependent on visitor admissions, it has meant we are having to look at new ways of working to engage with audiences and also remain financially viable.

“Having an admission charge at the Gallery was a barrier for many potential visitors. We hope that by removing the entry charge more people will be encouraged to come and see our wonderful collections and support us through donations and buying tickets to our special exhibitions at this incredibly challenging time. We need your support more than ever.”

From August 1 the gallery will be open 11am-4pm, five days a week from Wednesdays to Sundays.

Visitors will need to book their free timed tickets online at www.yorkartgallery.org.uk.