Met sees surge in museum membership sales

from yesterday's Wall Street Journal (8/11)

Memberships Spike at Met
McQueen Exhibit Brightens the Horizon.

By PIA CATTON

"The long lines for the Metropolitan Museum of Art's blockbuster exhibit "Alexander McQueen: Savage Beauty" have gone away, but the lasting effect for the museum is the influx of new members. During the exhibit's run from May 4 to Aug. 7, some 25,000 memberships were purchased at prices between $70 and $550.

"In terms of enlarging the Met family, it's crucial," said the museum's spokesman, Harold Holzer. "Membership is a major source of revenue and repeat visitation."

Membership contributions make up about 10% of the institution's annual operating budget, and the support goes toward general programming plans, rather than any specific future exhibition. The McQueen bump is at least double the number that joined during the same period last year, and could help offset recession-era shifts in the museum's $2.3 billion endowment." ...

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