While her observations about the importance of inclusion at Maine museums are worthwhile, Heather Martin fails to mention or be aware of the tremendous strides that our flagship art museum – the Portland Museum of Art – has made in this area. (Full disclosure, a relative of ours works there.)
The PMA has been at the forefront of the effort to be more inclusive; in fact, inclusion is one of its guiding principles and one only has to visit the museum to see how well they are succeeding.
Enter the museum on any given day and you will see school children on class trips, young art students from Maine College of Art and a culturally diverse patronage representative of the changing demographic of Maine. Free Fridays, when no admission is charged, ensure that anyone, regardless of their financial situation, can enjoy the museum. The staff is universally welcoming and professional.
If Ms. Martin (and others) want to see a vibrant example of inclusion in action, they need look no further than the Portland Museum of Art.
Darby Fleming
Freeport
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