The Colorado Springs Fine Arts Center at Colorado College (FAC) is offering reduced admission rates, expanded hours, and increased discounts in order to provide greater access for the Colorado Springs community. Colorado College faculty, students, and staff with Gold Cards already receive free admission to all exhibits and galleries.

These changes for the greater Colorado Springs community, coming at a time when funding and access to the arts are being reduced at both local and national levels, are the first of many to be implemented following the approval of the FAC/CC strategic plan, titled "Excellence, Access, and Collaboration."

The efforts to increase access include a range of initiatives. Beginning Saturday, Sept. 1, visitors to the FAC will have full access to all museum galleries at the following reduced rates of admission:

• $10 for general public admission. Rates in the past varied, depending on the exhibition, and sometimes were as high as $18. Admission fees will now be a constant $10 throughout the year.
• Seniors, active duty, and retired military personnel will receive a 50 percent discount, meaning admission is $5. The FAC also participates in the Blue Star Museum program, which provides active duty and retired military personnel and their families free admission each year from Memorial Day to Labor Day.
• Free admission currently offered to children 12 and under will be extended to include all students and teachers with valid ID from any school in the country, including high schools, trade schools, and higher ed institutions. This includes all Colorado College Gold Card holders.
• An additional Museum Free Day will be added each month. Currently the third Friday of each month is designated as a Museum Free Day; beginning Saturday, Sept. 9, the second Saturday of each month also will be a Museum Free Day, in an effort to extend this benefit to those who may not be able to visit during the week.

In addition to reducing admission rates and adding discounts and free days, the FAC is extending the museum's evening hours in order to welcome the Colorado Springs working community to the galleries after work.

• Tuesday through Saturday the FAC will open at 10 a.m. and close at 7:30 p.m. Sunday hours will remain 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
• Starting Sept 11, the FAC museum will be closed to the public on Mondays for special touring programs and museum exhibition installations.

The initiatives for greater community access go beyond the museum. Additional Wednesday evening performances for mainstage productions are slated for the upcoming theatre season. Theatre-goers can enjoy award-winning, Broadway-worthy theatre for a flat ticket price of $20 per seat on these new Wednesday evening performances.

"These are just a few of many planned initiatives we're instituting as part of Colorado College to provide the Colorado Springs community with greater access to the arts," says FAC Director Erin Hannan. "Look in the coming months for news on additional programs and offerings we're creating to fulfill the vision outlined in the strategic plan. It's all about taking down potential barriers to visitation and making sure we're doing everything we can to create access to exceptional arts experiences for this great community."

The complete strategic plan of the Colorado Springs Fine Arts Center at Colorado College is available online.