Piper Bulletin May 2009

Valley residents are lining up outside libraries even before they open for a chance to obtain one of the new culture passes. The program, launched April 1, allows patrons of six Valley library systems to check out a pass, good for up to four people, for free admission to 15 Valley museums and cultural institutions.

"I think the response has been wonderful," said Mark Patel, director of marketing and public relations, Phoenix Art Museum. "The project lends itself to further collaborative efforts within the arts community."

Participating art institutions include: Arizona Museum for Youth, Arizona Museum of Natural History, Arizona Science Center, Bead Museum, Cave Creek Museum, Children's Museum of Phoenix, Desert Botanical Garden, Heard Museum's three locations, Mesa Contemporary Arts, Phoenix Art Museum, Phoenix Zoo, Scottsdale Museum of Contemporary Art and Taliesin West.

"This April�s attendance is the highest for any April in the museum�s full 10 year history," said Lesley Oliver, marketing and public relations manager for the Scottsdale Museum of Contemporary Art. "Honestly, those kinds of numbers can be attributed to the heightened awareness levels and brand new visitors that the culture pass has generated."

Each pass expires after one week. Only one pass can be checked out at a time and are available on a first-come, first-served basis.