Chicago Art Institute: Museum's fee hike angers alderman
General admission is rising to $18 from $12

By Hal Dardick | Tribune reporter | March 19, 2009

A powerful Chicago alderman is threatening to halt free city services provided to the Art Institute of Chicago because of its plan to increase admission fees by half.

But it's unclear whether Ald. Ed Burke (14th) can reverse the museum's course, and he suggested something less than that might satisfy him, even as he expressed anger over the fee hike.

"They are making it almost impossible for the average Chicago citizen to take his or her family to view these Chicago treasures," Burke said Wednesday.

Burke and Ald. Virginia Rugai (19th) proposed an ordinance to block free city water service, construction permits, licenses and inspections given to not-for-profit city museums that charge more than $10 for general admission.

If approved, however, several other museums would be affected, including the Shedd Aquarium, the Museum of Science and Industry, the Field Museum and the Museum of Contemporary Art, according to the Chicago Park District. The Art Institute got $6.6 million in land and subsidies last year from the Park District.

Last week the park board, which is overseen by appointees of Mayor Richard Daley, approved raising the Art Institute's general admission fee to $18 from $12 for most visitors and to $12 from $7 for students and seniors.

"Our feeling is that this was a world-class museum with rising expenses, and we feel because of the free programs the museum remains accessible to most Chicagoans," district spokeswoman Jessica Maxey-Faulkner said.

The museum has year-round free admission on Thursday evenings and on Thursdays and Fridays from Memorial Day to Labor Day, she said. Museum officials did not return calls.

Burke said there was room for concessions. "Why not make more free dates that are available? Why not increase the number of passes that are available at their libraries? Why not cap the amount of money that they are charging for admission for people that live in Chicago and pay taxes in Chicago?"

Absent a quick compromise, the museum might find itself under political fire.

"We can certainly shine the light on this and ask these people who run these institutions, who in some cases are being paid hundreds of thousands of dollars, to justify raising the fee from $12 to $18," Burke said.

hdardick@tribune.com