Erie County, NY — Today, Erie County Executive Mark C. Poloncarz joined Albright Knox Art Gallery Peggy Pierce Elfvin Director Janne Sirén and art enthusiasts at the museum to announce the return of Free Admission Week for all Erie County residents. The week is a popular way for the museum to express its gratitude to Erie County residents and drew thousands of art enthusiasts and explorers in 2015. Free Admission Week 2016 will be held from Sunday, April 17, through Saturday, April 23 (the Albright-Knox is closed on Mondays).

“Erie County and the Albright Knox Art Gallery enjoy a special and invigorated relationship, with a world-class art collection showcased in these halls and with public art installations around the county growing and incubating a new appreciation for art in all its forms,” said Poloncarz. “This is a unique partnership and we are blessed to have an institution such as the gallery here in Erie County. I encourage residents to visit the museum during Free Admission Week and enjoy close-up encounters with some of the world’s most treasured artworks. By working together we are enriching our region and showing the world what we are capable of.”

“The Albright-Knox is a hub of creative energies and a vibrant cultural resource for the residents of Erie County,” Sirén added. “This museum enables people from all walks of life to connect with amazing artworks that define our common humanity. We treat our role as a place of community engagement and learning with the utmost respect and sincerity. What we do at the Albright-Knox is made possible by Erie County residents, and we are most grateful for the public and private support we receive.”

Exhibitions on view during the week of free admission include Erin Shirreff, For the Love of Things: Still Life, and Torey Thornton: Sir Veil in the 1905 Building; Joan Jonas: Good Night Good Morning in the Gallery for New Media; and the 2016 AK Teens: Future Curators Exhibition, Viewpoint, which will be on view in the Clifton Hall Link starting April 15. 

###