How Free Museum Access Could Transform Rochester, NY with Sarah Jesse

The Memorial Art Gallery has been a cornerstone of Rochester's cultural life for more than a century. But for decades, a $20 admission fee stood between many residents and the world-class collection housed inside. That is about to change permanently.

Sarah Jesse, who has served as MAG's Director for just over two and a half years, joins us to share the story behind the museum's landmark $9 million endowment campaign — a fund that will allow MAG to eliminate admission fees forever, not just for a free day here or a discounted Wednesday there, but for every visitor, every day, going forward.

The $9 Million Campaign Explained

The idea was deceptively simple: raise enough money as an endowment so that only the earnings — not the principal — would cover the annual loss of admission revenue. MAG currently generates about 2% of its budget from ticket sales, which meant the financial gap was real but manageable if the right donors could be persuaded.

The catalytic gift came from Doug and the Sanders Family Foundation, who contributed $3 million after Sarah spent two years making the case publicly. From there, momentum built quickly. Mary Ellen and the Forman family, Kitty and Lucy Lovett, Justin and Sandy Lloyd, and nearly a million dollars in smaller community donations rounded out the campaign — completed in under six months once the lead gift was secured.

Making the Case for Free Admission

Sarah didn't arrive in Rochester expecting to have to fight for the idea. She assumed the community would immediately embrace it. What she found instead was that she needed to build a persuasive case from multiple angles — philosophical, economic, and civic.

The philosophical argument — that access to art and culture makes people's lives better — resonated with some but not all. For those who had never had a transformative experience in a museum, the case felt abstract. So Sarah developed an economic argument: only 2% of MAG's budget comes from admission, and doubling the number of visitors doesn't double expenses. The art is on the walls regardless of whether 100 or 200 people walk through the door.

She also pushed back on the notion that free things aren't valued. The Smithsonian and the National Gallery of Art are free and are among the most respected institutions in the country. Quality and cost, she argued, are not the same thing.

What Other Museums Have Learned

Sarah consulted with colleagues at the Harvard Art Museums, which made a similar transition in recent years. The data was instructive: Harvard doubled its attendance after going free. Donations increased, though lower-level membership saw some attrition. That insight helped shape MAG's $9 million target, which was sized to account for potential membership changes.

Sarah's hunch, however, is that MAG's membership base is different. "I believe our members do it for philanthropic reasons — they care about sustaining an institution that is a civic treasure. I wouldn't be surprised if our membership maintains or even grows once we go free."

What's Next for MAG

Free admission is only one chapter in a larger story. MAG is currently developing a comprehensive master plan for its physical spaces — a building that spans five distinct architectural eras from 1913 to 1986. The first floor needs attention: mismatched flooring materials, covered windows, and dated carpeting don't reflect the quality of the collection they house.

The museum has also hired its first-ever inaugural curator of contemporary art, Timothy Peterson, to build out a modern and contemporary program that connects MAG's 5,000-year collection to artists working today. Partnerships with the Rochester City School District — busing students to the museum multiple times a year — and a new collaboration with the School of the Arts are also expanding the museum's reach into the community.

Why Arts and Culture Matter to Rochester

There is a formula for what makes a great city, and a great art museum is part of it. When University of Rochester or Rochester Regional Health is trying to recruit talent to the region, the presence of MAG, the RPO, the Jazz Festival, and Eastman School of Music are part of what closes the deal.

"We simply want to be an even bigger part of what makes Rochester an awesome place to live," Sarah said. "When we are generous to our community, the community is generous to us."

Sarah Jesse on AI and Art

Sarah's position on AI is nuanced: she uses AI tools to make presentations more visually polished, but draws a firm line at AI-generated art. Her argument is that what makes great art is the unique viewpoint of the artist — the act of thinking, of deciding where to place the brush, of communicating a perspective that is irreducibly human. That, she believes, cannot be outsourced.

She shared a recent moment that crystallized why the physical experience of art still matters: walking past a Joseph Cornell shadow box at MAG and feeling the presence of the artist — picturing him carefully placing each small object, deliberating over every detail. "You can't get that from looking at a reproduction on your phone. There is something intangible about standing in front of the original work."

Listen to the Rochester Living Podcast

You can watch and listen to this full conversation with Sarah Jesse, along with past and future episodes of the Rochester Living Podcast, on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and YouTube.

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