Ald. Burke Threatens Art Institute Over Admission Hike

By Marcus Gilmer in News on Mar 19, 2009 5:20PM

The Art Institute is learning a hard lesson: you don't screw around with Ald. Ed Burke (14th). Responding to the AIC's recent decision to raise admission prices by 50 percent, Burke, along with Ald. Virginia Rugai (19th), has introduced a measure to the City Council that, according to the Tribune, "would block city fee waivers to any not-for-profit Chicago Museum that charges more than $10 for general admission," including cutting off free water. Said Burke, "They are making it almost impossible for the average Chicago citizen to take his or her family to view these Chicago treasures...At the same time they are paying to subsidize the institution, they are going to be required to pay $18 to go into the institution? That doesn't seem fair."

The Art Institute receives an annual subsidy of $6.6 million, but that falls under the authority of the Chicago Park District meaning the City Council has no real control over it, which is why Burke has chosen to threaten city services. While Burke seems to be targeting the Art Institute specifically, the measure - if approved - would also affect five other museums including the Field Museum, the Shedd Aquarium, and the Museum of Science and Industry. Added Burke, "It's one thing to charge $18 for somebody who's coming here from New Orleans or New York or San Francisco. It's something entirely different . . . to charge $18 to a taxpayer who lives in Chicago, who's already paying taxes that subsidize these institutions." [CBS 2, Tribune]