Saskatoon’s Remai Modern doubles attendance

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Remai Modern (photo by Adrien Williams)

Saskatoon’s Remai Modern, during its first full year of an admission-by-donation policy, has had a 117-per-cent increase in attendance over the previous year when admission prices were in effect.

Tracking for the first nine months of 2023 shows the Remai heading towards the best-ever year of attendance since 2018, the first full year the gallery was open.

The number of visitors for the past year, ending this October, totalled 189,999.

That is compared with 87,407 for the previous 12-month period (when the Covid-19 pandemic was likely a factor in attendance.)

In the equivalent period for 2018-19, the gallery’s attendance was 159,051.

“The community support has been incredible and we are so grateful to the people of Saskatoon for embracing Remai Modern,” say Aileen Burns and Johan Lundh, co-executive directors and CEOs.

Remai Modern launched by-donation admission in October 2022 thanks to the support of the Frank and Ellen Remai Modern Foundation, which pledged $10 million to ensure the museum could offer by-donation admission for 20 years.

Saskatoon has a history of free art. The Remai’s predecessor, the former Mendel Art Gallery, did not charge admission and was frequently cited as the best-attended art gallery, on a per capita basis, among Canadian cities.

Visitors who enter the Remai by donation, it appears, are not cheapskates.

“Visitors have shown extraordinary generosity through admission by donation, contributing a combined 79.1 per cent more from Oct. 22, 2022 to Oct. 21, 2023 than the total amount the museum made the year prior through its old admission structure,” the gallery said in a press release.

The Remai’s income has also increased by 233 per cent in the past year due to space rental for conferences, weddings and other events.

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