In the fall, the Hood made all Family Days and Teen Workshops free, adding them to the museum's long list of programs that are also free, including lectures, gallery talks,receptions, symposia, tours, workshops, and ArtVentures. "We feel strongly that the museum and the full breadth of its programs should be fully accessible to our diverse audiences," notes Lesley Wellman, Curator of Education."This is a place where everyone is welcome and dropping the program fees has been greatly appreciated by our visitors."
Fees formerly collected through these programs were used to pay for materials and performances. The switch to free programming is possible thanks to the generosity of the Seth Sprague Educational and Charitable Foundation and the Friends of Hopkins Center and Hood Museum of Art. The museum's multiple-visit programs for regional schools, Images and ArtStart, and its teacher workshops are not part of the new fee schedule. However, docent-led tours of the museums collections and exhibitions are also offered free of charge to all school and community groups.