A group of 11 Chicago museums is collaborating for the first “member swap” event, allowing museum members to visit other participating institutions free of charge through Sunday. Members need to show proof of membership and identification, and they can bring one guest and any household member under 16 at no cost.
Participating museums include the American Writers Museum, Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago, National Hellenic Museum, National Public Housing Museum, Glessner House, Intuit Art Museum, Driehaus Museum, Illinois Holocaust Museum, International Museum of Surgical Science, Ukrainian Museum of Art and the National Museum of Mexican Art.
Some museums that are usually free throughout the year are also offering complimentary docent-led tours during the swap. These include Glessner House and the National Museum of Mexican Art’s “Nuestras Historias (Our Histories)” exhibit.
Matthew Masino from the American Writers Museum initiated the idea in October by reaching out to other institutions. “I was originally envisioning something that was maybe two or three museums, including us, that would just swap members for a weekend,” Masino said. “As the number of museums grew all the way to 11, it was shocking and really gratifying to see and to experience. But it was also just a really cool way to bring people together.”
Masino stated that the main goals are to thank museum members who support local institutions and foster community among Chicago’s museums.
Janet Kashuba from the National Hellenic Museum said joining aligns with their mission: “Our mission is to share Greek history, art and culture … in ways that unite people across cultures [and] generations,” Kashuba said. “The swap is really the perfect embodiment of our mission. We want to reach out to these other institutions. We want to cross-pollinate. We want to be able to build these bridges between other cultures and other missions and find our commonalities.
“And also it’s just a really, really wonderful way to expose people to museums they might not have otherwise tried.”
The Hellenic Museum has also started a series called Museums in Conversation this month. This program partners with different institutions each month for joint events at each other’s venues. Upcoming collaborations with University of Chicago’s Institute for the Study of Ancient Cultures include lectures on Greek immigration and programs for young archaeologists.
Organizers note that winter months typically bring fewer visitors; they hope this initiative will encourage residents to explore new places around Chicago neighborhoods.
“It’s kind of this dreary January time that we’re experiencing … so bringing all these museums together is able to kind of give everybody a gift in a very cool way,” Masino said. “This was a really great first step in kind of building a larger museum community.”
More information about participating institutions can be found on their respective websites.
“I think a huge part of the cultural museum landscape of Chicago is when one of us is supported, we’re all supported,” Masino said. “By joining any one of the 11 museums, you’re not only … getting something really cool out of it this weekend, but you’re also supporting arts or history or writing, in our case. It’s keeping these alive for future generations, helping all these different museums accomplish their mission.”
