‘It’s a little secret, a little bit punk’: Guerrilla scheme that allows thick-skinned artists to share gallery membership cards widely | art

HeyIn the wall, not far from the Tate Modern, is a safety deposit box. Enter the code and inside it is a museum membership card, giving free access to its temporary exhibitions. You get your ticket, and you return the card.

The artist membership project, which has drawn the ire of the city’s arts institutions, has been running for three months and has more than 600 members, most of whom are artists and recent graduates. Curator Ben Broome, who describes the guerrilla initiative as “part mutual aid project and part art work”, estimates that those who have signed up have saved thousands of pounds in museum entry fees.

“I work in the art world, and I can generally beg and borrow and steal a pass, or I know someone who works at a museum,” Broome says. “But I had a studio visit with a recently graduated artist who was still finding her footing in the industry and asked her if she had seen an Ed Atkins show at Tate Britain. She replied that she would have loved to go but it cost £18 and she simply couldn’t afford it.”

A 2024 study found that the average annual salary of artists in the UK was just £12,500 per year, representing a 40% decline since 2010.

Broome went away from the studio visit with a plan. He would email dozens of friends who ran commercial art galleries and ask them to donate £100. He then invests the money in membership cards for nine institutions, including Tates Modern Britain, the Courtauld Gallery, the National Gallery and the National Portrait Gallery. These items will be hidden in lock boxes, the location and code for which are provided via the WhatsApp group.

“It’s a bit of a secret thing, and it’s kind of chaotic,” Broome says. “There’s a little bit of low-level chaos in the project.” “That’s why people respond so well to it, because it’s a little bit divisive or rude. And I think we need less of that.”

“I understand why these institutions charge for these shows, since they cost thousands to perform,” Broome adds. “I think charging artists alienates the same audience that makes these institutions great in the first place.”

The curator cites the example of the Museum of Modern Art in New York, which offers a heavily subsidized membership plan for artists. Artists simply have to provide some evidence of their practice at the museum’s information desk, whether that’s on a website or on their social media.

There appears to be an appetite for a similar concession price in the UK, where within days, a WhatsApp group exploded and cards were being used multiple times a day. A Tate spokesman said: “Unlike many museums abroad, the UK’s national museums are free to everyone, including artists… This is only possible because of the support of our members and the income generated by our exhibitions.”

Representatives of the Royal Academy and the Victoria and Albert Museum also noted that temporary displays were a major source of income. The terms and conditions of all membership programs involuntarily included in the Broome Scheme expressly prohibit the sharing of cards. All organizations indicated that they run free entry days, occasional ‘pay what you can’ events and reduced prices for under 25s or those on benefits.

Broome says he understands the financial constraints placed on museums, and they are doing what they can. “Being the director of one of London’s major museums is no easy task, but I think we can separate the dire state of the art world in the public sector from the fact that artists can’t see exhibitions. They’re intertwined, and both things are rooted in governmental failure. The public who uses the membership system, however, won’t come to your institution anyway. So you’d better get those people through the door.”

Visitor numbers across London’s arts institutions have barely recovered since the Covid-19 pandemic, with visitor numbers across Tate sites falling by more than 30% since 2019.

There are signs that Broome’s provocation is paying off. Gilane Tawadros, director of the Whitechapel Gallery in London, told The Guardian: “I was not personally aware of this scheme, but many of our staff are also practicing artists, so I imagine they are. I completely understand the need for artists to share resources because tickets for exhibitions are often very expensive, and the ability to go and see the work is vital. I think it would be great for arts organizations to think bigger.” As many ways as possible to support and sponsor our artists.” communities.”

Earlier this month, the Barbican canceled Broome’s membership card, citing “suspicious activity”. He crowdfunded a replacement under a new name which was also promptly cancelled. But now a spokesperson says the gallery will be reaching out to him “to explore options”.

“The idea behind this project was not to create an infrastructure through which people could access free exhibitions indefinitely,” says the curator. “It was always destined to fail. Some of the cards had become so wet from being in the elements that they were practically unusable, and one of the lock boxes had discontinued. It was designed to show how fragile artists were and that there was a need for an alternative model – which is what I believe happened.”