Inside the Columbus Museum of Art’s push to make Art more accessible

Siena Kessler
Tue, 03 Feb 2026 02:43:42 +0000
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The Columbus Museum of Art, located at?480 E. Broad St. in downtown. Credit: Courtesy of the Columbus Museum of Art

For Ohio State students looking to get involved in the art community in an affordable way, the Columbus Museum of Art offers various free and low-cost options designed to make visiting the museum less intimidating.

Lydia Simon, director of marketing and communications at CMA, said the museum is working to disband the perception that art museums are only for certain audiences and out of reach for college students.

“Our mission is to provide transformative experiences through art,” Simon said.. “We want Ohio State students to know that cost should never be a barrier.”

According to Simon, one of the museum’s most popular programs is Free Sundays, which is a day of free general admission every week and allows visitors to explore the entire museum, including all special exhibitions.

The CMA also offers programming that encourages visitors to engage with art in a more hands-on way, Simon said. Open Studio Saturdays, from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m., is included with general admission and invites visitors to create art using the provided materials.

“It’s open to all ages,” Simon said. “It’s a way to experiment with materials, unwind and get creative. No prior art experience is necessary.”

Thursday nights have also become a draw for students and young adults, offering $5 admission and extended hours from 5 to 9 p.m.

Simon said CMA’s satellite campus, The Pizzuti — located in Short North — is accessible for students.

“Students can take the [number] 2 bus down High Street, making it an easy off-campus option,” Simon said. “Admission for The Pizzuti is always $5 for nonmembers, and students can access it for free through the D-Tix program.”

Dana Carlisle Kletchka, an Ohio State professor specializing in art museum education, said affordability plays a major role in who feels comfortable entering museum spaces, but it isn’t the only obstacle.

“When you have a larger group of people, the cost can add up quickly,” Kletchka said. “It’s more than just the cost of entry. You have to think of a way to get there, the cost of the bus, where you’re going to eat.”

Kletchka said free and low-cost admission also changes how visitors engage with art.

“When you are unencumbered by financial concerns, you have more fun,” Kletchka said. “驰辞耻’re more likely to spend a longer time; you can think, ‘I can come back for this and not worry about having to pay for it.’”

Kletchka said museums benefit from repeat visits, rather than one-time attendance.

“CMA is in it for a relationship,” Kletchka said. “They want people to come back and learn something new or do something different every time they are in the museum.”

Kletchka also said why museums can feel intimidating to students and young adults.

“The perception comes from the thought that everything in them is expensive and it’s not something you can interact with usually,” Kletchka said. “There is this history of museums being perceived as being stuffy and a place where you can’t have fun.”

Kletchka said social experiences can change this perception.

“If you think this museum is not for you and you have the opportunity to go with friends, the social experience makes things different,” Kletchka said.

For students balancing packed schedules and constant digital noise, she said museums can offer something rare nowadays.

“We are attacked with so much news right now,” Kletchka said. “To go into a place where it’s quiet and you can take a moment where your phone isn’t pinging you, time to decompress, relax and just be, is very important.”

For students hesitant to step inside an art museum, Kletchka said it’s important to keep an open mind.

“Even if you don’t consider yourself an art person, give it a shot,” Kletchka said.

Kletchka said art plays a fundamental role in the overall human experience.

“Art is essential, like eating or breathing or laughing,” Kletchka said. “Anytime you can go or experience creativity you are experiencing one of the things that makes us fundamentally human.”