• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to footer

News and entertainment worth sharing – York and North Yorkshire

  • News
  • Things to do
  • Radio
  • More
    • Food & drink
    • Business
  • About
    • Comments
    • Advertise
    • Contact us
  • Radio
  • WIN
  • Vouchers
  • Choice Awards
  • Listen live »
An evening with Tommy Cannon

‘I won’t go into York Art Gallery till its free’ – councillor joins residents’ ‘strike’

Plans to charge entry to York Art Gallery have dismayed many in the city. Photograph: YorkMix
Tue 28 Jul, 2015 @ 10.05 pm News YorkMix

A York councillor is refusing to step foot into the renovated York Art Gallery in protest at plans to charge residents an entry fee when it reopens.

Cllr Dave Taylor
Cllr Dave Taylor
All City of York Council members were offered a free preview of the newly renovated gallery on Tuesday (July 28). But the Green Party’s Dave Taylor has shunned the tour.

York Museums Trust has asked the council to remove the clause in its management contract that ensures York citizens have free access to the city’s art treasures.

This will be discussed by the learning and scrutiny committee on Wednesday (July 29) at 5.30pm. An hour later executive member Councillor Ayre will decide whether to allow the trust to impose a fee.

Cllr Taylor, who chairs the learning and scrutiny committee, says:

I’ve looked forward to the opening of the Centre of Ceramic Art for months, but I’m not willing to go on a free tour if the Council and York Museums Trust renege on an agreement to keep free access for residents to York Art Gallery.

Art should be for everyone, not just for the elite, and the city needs to take a step back from this decision and work out how to increase public access rather than reduce visitor numbers to a handful of wealthy tourists and the well-off in society.

People’s art gallery

York Art Gallery is due to re-open to the public on Saturday (August 1) but protesters are organise a pop-up York Free Art Gallery from 11am in Exhibition Square.

People will be able to express their own creativity through their own art works, to be added to the open exhibition.

Organisers say they want to “develop an active community around the art gallery linking the city’s collections with all the public of York as creators of York’s art, culture, history and heritage.”

As for the gallery Cllr Taylor will be staying away for the foreseeable future.

Lots of people have said that charges would put them off visiting and taking their friends and family who come to see them in York.

I shall join them in an ‘Art Strike’ until we can sort this out.

He said people are welcome to register to speak at the meetings at West Offices on Wednesday evening: “Please come and make your views known.”

Hundreds of petition signatures

An online petition calling for the art gallery to remain free had garnered nearly 650 signatures by Tuesday, July 28.

More than 200 people had added their comments to the site. Here are a few.

Art should be freely available to all in a public gallery. It has no relevance unless it can be experienced first hand by everybody.

Charging entrance will put a stop to visits by poorer individuals and families. That defeats the object of public galleries.

– Robert Camp, York

Dreadful decision to charge. Disgraceful to make it £7.50. I had put it in my diary to go for the re-opening. Not anymore.

– Ollie, Scarborough

Applying a charge for entry will make the gallery a venue only for tourists. It turns it from a local resource that can be used regularly to one that is only used on special occasions and turns (publicly funded) art into something exclusive rather than inclusive.

– Ian Weston, UK

It seems totally wrong that what was created as a public place (of innocent enjoyment and instruction) should cease to be within the reach of-the public.

– Rebecca Tallerman, Hull

I’m scared that these charges will be the death of the gallery. They should charge only for the specialists exhibitions as Tate Modern and Tate Britain do.

– Jo Walton, Middlesbrough


First look: What you will see in the new York Art Gallery, transformed inside and out

The end of free entry: York residents to be charged to enter museums and gallery

York Art Gallery to charge adults £7.50 entry fee when it reopens

Tue 28 Jul, 2015

25 Comments
Newest
Oldest Most Voted
Inline Feedbacks
View all comments
mavis.west
7 years ago

Greedy York council,all the tourism York has ,and every shop that closes reopens for the tourist, more and more cafes and restaurants,all more income/revenue for the council,but York residents to pay £7.50 entry to Gallery,which i was so looking forward to visiting,disgusting,used to love going in for coffee and cake also so cafe will suffer.mavis.west a Pensioner.

0
Stephen Conroy
7 years ago

But who goes to galleries unlimated times a year. It is still no more than a provincial gallery. Now if it was the V&A, I used to go every week. But I have no interest in studio pottery!

0
Stephen Conroy
7 years ago

And another thing. The museums are losing funding. But so are many residents in York. This will be unaffordable for many in York.

0
Kay
7 years ago

OK, Ashley, if it’s 32p per visit why not charge that. Per visit.

0
Stephen Conroy
7 years ago

Ashley it is not 0.42 a week. If you only go once it is over £7 and if you want to take friends it becomes £30 or £40. Lower attendance affects concession sales etc. Your maths is naive. I have lived in York for 8 years and have only visited the gallery twice. So now it becomes expensive. Proper sponsorship and quality chargeable exhibitions are the way forward.

0
James Loxten
7 years ago

There are messages on Twitter knocking around claiming that the Labour / Green parties that colluded towards the end of the last administration voted through a £900,000 cut to the Museum subsidy.

If that’s correct that Cllr Taylor is somewhat of a hypocrite…

0
steve conroy
7 years ago

I have no problem with a charge but why go from one extreme to another. The gallery is a decent provincial gallery. I am from Leicester originally. They have one of the best German Expressionist displays in UK. Birmingham has the Pre-Raphaelites. Both are still free (?). And what about the V&A in London. They tried a £5 charge. It failed and was scrapped. A charge, ok, but rethink the amount. Perry Grayson does not justify such a charge!

0
R.M
7 years ago

All those who voted for futher austerity ie a Tory government should not complain now about the cuts in funding and subsequent need to charge.

0
Horius
7 years ago

1) All galleries,including Exhibition Square should be free to the public.
2) The standards of local artists is so high that it beats me why the main gallery won’t open up to local exhibitions in view to show to the public and to sell.(And outsell the masters). The elitists will buy masters to keep up with the Joneses….., other than that the tourists also come to York in search for local friendly galleries and cannot find them,let alone information in the tourist office.: I heard it said once by an Exhibition Square Gallery official………,”They’re not worthy enough”
Van Gogh was poor, he got his pints from his local for every painting he did…; I guess he wasn’t worthy enough either to go on the bigger stage.

0
Jacquie Flynn
7 years ago

It’s £17 with a York card – but that costs £5 – so you’ll still be paying £ 22. – a reduced residents fee would be more acceptable

0
Ashley Hyde
7 years ago

Do people really think £0.32p / £0.42p a week for unlimited access to the gallery throughout the year including all the new exciting exhibitions is expensive? I really don’t. I would rather pay that than have it free then pay extra for an exhibition I want to see when it comes up which if you look at Tate Britain as an example will cost you around £12.00 each time and only under 12s go free…

0
Ashley Hyde
7 years ago

‘In February, it was announced that the Museums Trust’s grant from the city council was to be slashed by £500,000: leaving just £600,000 a year in council funding. Three years ago, it was £1.5 million. But cuts to arts and heritage budgets are happening everywhere, not just in York. And with austerity set to continue organisations like the Museums Trust are going to have to stand on their own two feet more, and learn to operate more like businesses. “That’s how we will survive.”’ York Press

So in that case I think £0.32p isn’t bad! It’s providing 11 new full time jobs at the gallery as well as 100 already in place. Small price to pay for this gallery to continue on and thrive.

0
Mike Stone
7 years ago

I believe Cllr Taylor works at City Screen Cinema. Given his belief that all art should be free, I presume he’ll be boycotting the cinema and encouraging others to do the same until it’s free for York Residents.

0
Pebbles Rodgers
7 years ago

£17 a year – when was that decided that is news to me Ashley Hyde, I’m pretty sure that figure wasn’t reported by the press. Still abit more pricey than the York Card though.

0
Pebbles Rodgers
7 years ago

£17 a year – when was that decided that is news to me Ashley Hyde, I’m pretty sure that figure wasn’t reported by the press. Still abit more pricey than the York Card though.

0
Jo Walton
7 years ago

My comment is there for all to see – but they got my location wrong…I’m Jo Walton from York.

0
John Jones
7 years ago

If he loves art so much he should invest in it’s welfare and upkeep. A rebel without a clue

0
John Jones
7 years ago

If he loves art so much he should invest in it’s welfare and upkeep. A rebel without a clue

0
Ashley Hyde
7 years ago

This is totally overshadowing the hard work that everyone involved has put into this project! All for the small fee of £0.32p a week (what it works out at). This is a bargain. I just want to say thank you to everyone at the York Art Gallery and York Museums Trust for all your hard work – blood / sweat and most probably tears… you have achieved something fantastic despite the negativity that surrounds this small fee. Well done to you all because you deserve it!

0
Ashley Hyde
7 years ago

This is totally overshadowing the hard work that everyone involved has put into this project! All for the small fee of £0.32p a week (what it works out at). This is a bargain. I just want to say thank you to everyone at the York Art Gallery and York Museums Trust for all your hard work – blood / sweat and most probably tears… you have achieved something fantastic despite the negativity that surrounds this small fee. Well done to you all because you deserve it!

0
Ashley Hyde
7 years ago

With a York Museum Trust card if you are a york resident it is £17 a year (£0.32p a week) to enjoy not only the Art Gallery but also Castle & Yorkshire Museum – unlimited number of times. Personally I think this is a great deal and an absolute bargain. To have this wonderful place open again on our doorstep – £0.32p to maintain it a week is a small fee to pay. Especially when you can take children in free with a paying adult. How many places in York / Yorkshire offer something like this? Not many!

0
Ashley Hyde
7 years ago

With a York Museum Trust card if you are a york resident it is £17 a year (£0.32p a week) to enjoy not only the Art Gallery but also Castle & Yorkshire Museum – unlimited number of times. Personally I think this is a great deal and an absolute bargain. To have this wonderful place open again on our doorstep – £0.32p to maintain it a week is a small fee to pay. Especially when you can take children in free with a paying adult. How many places in York / Yorkshire offer something like this? Not many!

0
Kate
Reply to  Ashley Hyde
7 years ago

Yes, but when you have older children, and are on a low income, paying out a lump sum of £68 (4x£17) is unfeasable. A deal is only great if you can afford it to begin with.

0
Adrian Brown
7 years ago

Lad 👊🏻

0
Richard Stewart
7 years ago

what do you expect with the money grabbing wasteful york council!!

0

Footer

YorkMix
News 01904 848 766
Email YorkMix news »
5-6 King's Court, Shambles, York  YO1 7LD
YorkMix Radio
General enquiries 01904 375 029
Studio/competitions 01904 375 030
Email YorkMix Radio »
Selby Superbowl, Bawtry Road, Selby  YO8 8NA
YorkMix is a trading name of YorkMix Media Ltd
Registered in England
Company number: 07814727
VAT number: 154 0364 34
© York Sound Ltd

Copyright © 2023 YorkMix Media Ltd

We use cookies on our website to give you the most relevant experience by remembering your preferences and repeat visits. By clicking “Accept”, you consent to the use of ALL the cookies.
Cookie settingsACCEPT
Manage consent

Privacy Overview

This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience.
Necessary
Always Enabled
Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. These cookies do not store any personal information.
Non-necessary
Any cookies that may not be particularly necessary for the website to function and is used specifically to collect user personal data via analytics, ads, other embedded contents are termed as non-necessary cookies. It is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies on your website.
SAVE & ACCEPT
wpDiscuz