AS someone who was lucky enough to have attended York Art School when it was still part of the Art Gallery, I was outraged by the news that the Art Gallery intends to charge £7.50 for entry (The Press, July 21).

Have we forgotten that a lot of the collection was given to the people of York? For example, we have the Lycett Green collection. Instead we are being treated once again like cattle.

I like my city and the tourists are part of it, but I expect to get something back. Whatever next – a pavement tax perhaps? Roll up, roll up, views of the Minster only 50p a glimpse?

At a time when we are all suffering from austerity, we need to have something to enjoy and culture should be one of them.

For goodness sake stop treating the citizens of York as second class citizens who get in the way of the tourists. We are not cash cows waiting placidly to be milked.

It is time the York Museum Trust got real and removed its head from it arts. The gallery is for the people of York and not just a glorified tea room with pretty pictures.

Entry should be free to York citizens and let the tourist pay.

Stephen Pigott, Melwood Grove, Acomb, York

 

I AM against the plan to charge for visiting museums and galleries in York. They are excellent facilities for local families and teach children a lot about the history of the area.

If this plan goes ahead we will take more trips out of York – to the art gallery in Leeds or the transport museum in Hull.

I always recommend York Museums Trust exhibitions to visitors I meet. One of the best forms of marketing is word of mouth.

How will I be able to do that when I haven’t visited them myself?

Louise Ibbotson, Chalfonts, York

 

IT is quite understandable that residents are unhappy about charges being introduced for the city’s art gallery when it has always been free before, but in blaming the York Museums Trust they are on the wrong tack.

I’m sure the trustees and the staff are all equally disappointed that a charge has to be introduced just as the gallery is reopening, but the cause is not (as Timothy Wynn has suggested, Letters, July 27) the refurbishment cost.

Most of that cost was covered by arts grants plus a large legacy, and the decision to introduce admission charges is the result of the museums trust having its budget drastically reduced.

Last week Museums’ Association president David Fleming stated: “I’m absolutely certain museums all over the country are considering admission fees in order to try to help plug gaps that are appearing in their budgets.”

Janet Barnes, chief executive of York Museums Trust, said: “We would really have hoped not to, but we just couldn’t see any other way of being sustainable in the longer term.”

In other words, don’t blame the art gallery or the museums trust.

Congratulations to Janet Barnes and her staff for a wonderful art gallery that we should all be proud of.

Tony Baker, Hartrigg Oaks, New Earswick

 

I HOPE the new council administration does not squander the opportunity to create a digital arts hub in the old Guildhall offices.

The proposal to create a digital arts centre is a much needed example of the council getting behind investing in creating York’s future.

We have hundreds of young people graduating with degrees in the arts from our universities every year and we should be encouraging them to develop new industries in York.

A government report at the start of 2014 showed the creative industries being worth a massive £71.4 billion a year to the British economy; that is over £8 million an hour.

The sector accounted for 1.68 million jobs in 2012, or 5.6 per cent of UK jobs.

There is more to York than our glorious past. The combination of our heritage and our pool of graduate talent could and should be creating new opportunities.

Let’s not blow it by retreating to the familiar comfort zone of simply providing more restaurants, hotels and posh flats.

Christian Vassie, Blake Court, Wheldrake, York