Art lovers in Kingston and around the globe now have a new way to support the Agnes Etherington Art Centre.

The gallery began offering direct memberships earlier this fall. The response to the gallery’s new membership platform has been strong, with 170 people signing up in the first month.

“Membership provides a way to bring together those — across campus, in the region and beyond — who appreciate the visual arts. Our members will sustain and advance the Agnes as a leading art museum and a hub for arts supporters,” says Jan Allen, director of the gallery.

All membership categories boast a “+ one” feature, through which an additional member is included free of charge.

“Viewing and learning about art is often best experienced with a friend; “+ one” encourages this social dimension of the gallery,” Ms. Allen says.

Membership benefits also include:

• Free gallery admission, email bulletins and the gallery’s print newsletter.
• Discounted access to fee-based courses, programs and ticketed Agnes events, as well as special members’ events and gatherings with visiting artists, curators and scholars.
• Additional behind-the-scenes access and annual recognition events for Curator’s Circle and Director’s Circle members.

Members also have opportunities to get involved in the work of the gallery. A steering committee will meet in January 2015 to craft plans for The Agnes Society, a group for active volunteers.

“Interest in our programs and collections is high, and attendance has increased. To expand opportunities and respond to new possibilities, we hope to draw on the energy and ideas of our supporters,” Ms. Allen says. “We already benefit from a dedicated core of volunteers who assist us with collections, gallery tours and research resources, and we anticipate The Agnes Society will build on this success.”    

To recognize the many contributions of the Gallery Association (GA), an independent charitable group that supported the Agnes up until this year, the gallery is offering GA members free Agnes membership. To take advantage of this special offer, they must apply for Agnes membership by Dec. 31, 2014.

Membership forms are available online at www.agnes.queensu.ca or at the gallery.