Earlier this month, a Kelly Blue Book survey of new car buyers found that nearly 30 percent had halted trips to Starbucks and other coffee shops altogether in response to higher gas prices, while another 21 percent had significantly curtailed the number of their premium-coffee indulgences in order to save money.
Clearly, we are living in hard times. That's the thinking behind the Gulf Coast Museum of Art's recent decision to offer free admission to their galleries, as well as several kid-friendly blockbuster films screened in their air-conditioned auditorium, during the month of July. Check out stunning artwork by three Florida-based painters, the museum's outdoor sculpture garden, and films including Pirates of the Caribbean, National Treasure and Night at the Museum — all gratis. The only thing the museum won't pick up is the cost of a trip to Largo; for more information, go to gulfcoastmuseum.org.
In fact, if you're looking for low-cost entertainment, the Bay area's museums and galleries routinely offer some of the best bargains in town. St. Petersburg's Museum of Fine Arts (fine-arts.org) presents a series of Friday night jazz concerts through August; a $20 ticket includes hors d'oeuvres, tickets for two Peroni beers and access to the museum's brand-spanking-new Hazel Hough Wing, in addition to performances by local groups including the Larry Camp Trio and Hot Sun Quartet.
The Tampa Museum of Art (tampamuseum.com) continues to offer free admission while awaiting the construction of its new building from an interim location in West Tampa. Other always-free venues include The Arts Center (a top-notch locale for contemporary art in St. Petersburg; theartscenter.org), Florida Craftsmen (floridacraftsmen.net), Craftsman House (craftsmanhousegallery.com) and the Florida Museum of Photographic Arts (fmopa.org).
A great way to gain free admission to some of the Bay area's pricier art venues — including the Salvador Dalí Museum (salvadordalimuseum.org), where general admission now runs $15 except during $5 Thursday nights from 5 to 8 p.m., and the Ringling Museum (ringling.org) — is to splurge on a museum membership that includes NARM (North American Reciprocal Program) privileges.
Though such memberships require you to shell out more in advance — $100-$200 per year, depending on which institution you join — they confer free access to other museums in the network. Locally, that means you can join the Salvador Dalí Museum and attend St. Petersburg's Museum of Fine Arts and the Ringling for free — as many times as you like.
NARM-level memberships are also available through the MFA and the Tampa Museum of Art. Something to think about the next time you're waiting in line for a triple caramel jumbochino.
This article appears in Jun 25 – Jul 1, 2008.