Macomb County certainly is not known for its cultural
amenities but if you offer Macombers a freebie, well, you don’t have to paint a
picture. They’re goin’ – to the DIA, that is.
amenities but if you offer Macombers a freebie, well, you don’t have to paint a
picture. They’re goin’ – to the DIA, that is.
In 2013, the first full year of free admission at the
Detroit Institute of Arts for the tri-county area, 60,000 Macomb County
residents visited the museum. That’s believed to be far above past numbers that
preceded passage of the DIA millage in August 2012, when admission fees were
charged to all.
Detroit Institute of Arts for the tri-county area, 60,000 Macomb County
residents visited the museum. That’s believed to be far above past numbers that
preceded passage of the DIA millage in August 2012, when admission fees were
charged to all.
According to the 2013 annual report by the Macomb County
Art Institute Authority, the number of school field trips jumped by 58 percent,
to 9,700 students, after the tri-county tax was implemented.
Art Institute Authority, the number of school field trips jumped by 58 percent,
to 9,700 students, after the tri-county tax was implemented.
And 28 senior citizen groups from Macomb toured the DIA
through the museum’s “Come Wonder Around” program.
through the museum’s “Come Wonder Around” program.
Most impressive is that a lot of folks so enjoyed their
museum experience that they became DIA members. Stan Simek, chairman of the
county art authority, said that DIA memberships in Oakland and Wayne counties
have fallen, as was expected when free entry was instated for all. But in
Macomb, memberships have more than doubled, from 1,056 in 2011 to 2,281 in 2013
and to 2,368 in the first quarter of this year.
museum experience that they became DIA members. Stan Simek, chairman of the
county art authority, said that DIA memberships in Oakland and Wayne counties
have fallen, as was expected when free entry was instated for all. But in
Macomb, memberships have more than doubled, from 1,056 in 2011 to 2,281 in 2013
and to 2,368 in the first quarter of this year.
Macomb County's population of 830,000 generated 302,950,000 person/days in 2013 (365 per person). Of those 300 million person/days, the DIA millage funded 60,000 DIA visits. Of those 830,000 residents, 2,368 took out memberships. Impressive numbers!