(Above) The current Contemporary Eye show at Pallant House in Chichester will be open for free as part of Museums at Night 2009. Picture: Charles Sandison, Cohesion, 2003, Projected installation using computer code & data programmes. Collection Chris Drake
Chichester's popular Pallant House Gallery is using Museums at Night to begin an ambitious bid to scrap admission charges at the idyllic Sussex site in time for the Olympic celebrations in 2012.
Free Entry by 2012 will launch at 12pm on May 16 2009, midway through an extended day of free entry at the House, as it targets the £4 million still needed to cover the associated costs. Three-quarters of Pallant’s current annual budget comes from admission fees and private sources.
Director Stefan van Raay said the House had "always hoped to offer" free entry, claiming it would be "a lasting legacy to Chichester and the UK." Patrons and a Friends society have already earned Pallant a significant proportion of the fund.
Adult workshops, a raffle, coffee tasting and talks on the current collections (including Patrick Caulfield) will also be held.
Runs 12pm – 8pm. Raffle tickets £2, draw to be made on December 3 2009. Artist's workshop in studio, 10am – 12pm. Guide to the collections room in Lecture Room, 3pm. Coffee tasting in Room 17.
See Culture24 next week for a review.
