Exposure to arts and culture is an important part of learning for a child, and at the McNay Art Museum, limited budgets don’t become a barrier. Thanks to a generous $100,000 grant from by the John L. Santikos Charitable Foundation Fund of the San Antonio Area Foundation, teens ages 13-19 will receive free general and feature exhibition admission throughout 2016 and 2017. This is an expansion of the existing admission policy which also grants free admission to children 12 and under.

“The McNay Art Museum’s mission is to engage a diverse community in the discovery and enjoyment of the visual arts, and we are grateful for the opportunity to expand and grow our audience,” says McNay Director William J. Chiego.

“Having these experiences at a young age greatly increases the likelihood that our youth will have a lifelong appreciation for different artistic disciplines. Providing free admission to teens grants them the opportunity to have rich encounters with art that keep them coming back to museums throughout their lives,” adds Director of Education Kate Carey.

To announce the museum’s new teen admission policy, the McNay has partnered with Say Si’s Media Art Program students to create a promotional video.

“It was important for us to have a video made by teens for teens; we have worked with Say Si Media Arts students in the past, and working with them again for this clip was a natural choice for us. We have always been beyond impressed with their creativity, professionalism, and talent.“ says Carey.

Watch the video by following this link www.mcnayart.org/freeteens.

Currently the McNay provides a number of programs and free admission to children ages birth to 12 years. Existing teen programs serve approximately 6,500 adolescents through an annual teen night (scheduled this year for Friday, April 1, 2016 – 7 p.m. – 10:00 p.m.), teens visiting on school tours or with their families, and the Teen Art Guide program (TAGs), the McNay’s teen volunteer core. By providing free admission, Santikos funds will substantially expand museum access to teens. The museum will also grow teen programs to accommodate the larger audience and encourage them to return.

“The end goal with all of our programs is to encourage teens to embrace the visual arts and make the museum, and art in general, a part of their lives as they grow older,” says Carey.