15 July 2013

Blockbuster exhibition at blockbuster prices

| Madam Cholet
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Being footloose and fancy free at the weekend a friend and I agreed to have an afternoon out at the latest blockbuster exhibition at the National Gallery. I’m a regular at these things – getting my fill of travelling culture that I may never get the chance to see again.

Anyhow, my thirst for culture aside, I have been thinking that the prices of these exhibitions is getting to be a bit ludicrous. Your average, non-concession ticket is $55, and obviously if you are booking for more than one or two it could get quite astronomical. We decided this time to get a regular entry ticket, but add on high tea. So that was a $55 ticket plus $10 for the high tea which turned out (after a bit of questionable service), to be rather yummy and more than filling for two people.

Add on to that $4.95 to pick the tickets up from the front desk from someone I hazard a guess was already rostered on that day and paid accordingly to be there. So why the 4.95 fee?

So total trip to the gallery for two with yummy high tea? $135.00. Without the high tea it would have still been $115. Is the cost of these exhibitions making it only for those who can afford it? And is that fair? Can these exhibitions be done any cheaper? Should the gallery started charging for entry everyday to help alleviate the costs for these mega exhibitions?

In conclusion, the exhibition is beautiful, however the best value part of this ticket seems to be the high tea for about $10. (I didn’t need dinner when I got home – shame it’s not sold on its own!).

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I’ve been twice, will go again. At $25 a head it’s a steal.

poetix said :

I love the national cliche thing that the gallery has going on here. French exhibition? Sell knickers promoted as lingerie. English artist? High tea, obviously.

If there was an exhibition of the artists banned by the Nazis there’d probably be sauerkraut and kranski.

Let’s hope they don’t have a McCarthy exhibition then as I would dread to think may be on the menu.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/04/29/inflatable-poop-paul-mccarthy-installation-hong-kong_n_3178719.html

I love the national cliche thing that the gallery has going on here. French exhibition? Sell knickers promoted as lingerie. English artist? High tea, obviously.

If there was an exhibition of the artists banned by the Nazis there’d probably be sauerkraut and kranski.

Nightshade said :

Madam Cholet said :

Definitely only purchased two adult tickets – have checked and says two adults. I bought via the NGA (then to ticketek), and was checking their prices, although website not working right now so can’t confirm. Possibly my bad then. Oh well, at least I can endorse the high tea as yummy, but maybe a tad expensive then?

My reading of the NGA site is that an adult ticket is $25, but a ticket-high tea package is $64. That makes it $39 for the high tea. It would want to be yummy for that price!

Fool and money soon parted, and ‘value adding’ stuff like that is where the profit is.

Madam Cholet said :

Definitely only purchased two adult tickets – have checked and says two adults. I bought via the NGA (then to ticketek), and was checking their prices, although website not working right now so can’t confirm. Possibly my bad then. Oh well, at least I can endorse the high tea as yummy, but maybe a tad expensive then?

My reading of the NGA site is that an adult ticket is $25, but a ticket-high tea package is $64. That makes it $39 for the high tea. It would want to be yummy for that price!

patrick_keogh said :

dungfungus said :

The OP says the best part of the exhibition was the “high tea”, so there!

So now I feel compelled to ask how “high tea” is at Bruce Stadium for a Raiders’ game.

You would have to ask John Mackay for an opinion on that one………………

patrick_keogh5:25 pm 16 Jul 13

dungfungus said :

The OP says the best part of the exhibition was the “high tea”, so there!

So now I feel compelled to ask how “high tea” is at Bruce Stadium for a Raiders’ game.

patrick_keogh said :

dungfungus said :

What are the pies and chips like at the NGA (for comparison)?

Tasty. Although I don’t think I would recommend either the NGA or Bruce Stadium as a place to go for something to eat. In fact it had never occurred to me as a major factor to consider when choosing to visit an art gallery. A lot of us go there for … er… the art.

Portrait gallery for pies, no joke. They’re Villis, and they’re awesome.

patrick_keogh said :

dungfungus said :

What are the pies and chips like at the NGA (for comparison)?

Tasty. Although I don’t think I would recommend either the NGA or Bruce Stadium as a place to go for something to eat. In fact it had never occurred to me as a major factor to consider when choosing to visit an art gallery. A lot of us go there for … er… the art.

Actually the sausage rolls at the portrait gallery are good.

patrick_keogh said :

dungfungus said :

What are the pies and chips like at the NGA (for comparison)?

Tasty. Although I don’t think I would recommend either the NGA or Bruce Stadium as a place to go for something to eat. In fact it had never occurred to me as a major factor to consider when choosing to visit an art gallery. A lot of us go there for … er… the art.

The OP says the best part of the exhibition was the “high tea”, so there!

patrick_keogh11:34 am 16 Jul 13

dungfungus said :

What are the pies and chips like at the NGA (for comparison)?

Tasty. Although I don’t think I would recommend either the NGA or Bruce Stadium as a place to go for something to eat. In fact it had never occurred to me as a major factor to consider when choosing to visit an art gallery. A lot of us go there for … er… the art.

patrick_keogh said :

For a local comparison, a ticket to see the Turner exhibition is less than the price of a ticket to a Raiders home game.

What are the pies and chips like at the NGA (for comparison)?

patrick_keogh8:39 am 16 Jul 13

For a local comparison, a ticket to see the Turner exhibition is less than the price of a ticket to a Raiders home game.

patrick_keogh8:37 am 16 Jul 13

By way of comparison, if you were in London and went to see a special exhibition at the Tate Modern, it would cost you £15.50 per adult which translates to almost exactly $25, the same as here. http://www.tate.org.uk/whats-on/tate-modern/exhibition/lichtenstein and I expect the expense of moving old oil paintings from London to Canberra is signficantly higher than moving modern works from Chicago and New York. So all in all I think we are getting pretty good value! Personally I prefer Lichtenstein to Turner but that’s another story.

Growling Ferret said :

dungfungus said :

The perceived high cost is probably because Andrew Barr didn’t tip in the usual $500K out of his “Special Events” account.
He may have, but I din’t see any of the fanfare and publicity that usually accompanies these handouts.
This being the case, the “user pays” outcome is a good one for ACT ratepayers.
I certainly wouldn’t pay that sort of money for something as boring as a Turner exhibition.

Dungfungus

As leading whackjob on Riotact these days, what does float your boat?

Tea Party conventions? Alan Jones? Torture of small furry animals?

You are Ralph, Crazy Chester and SGS all rolled into 1.

I am honoured to be annoited as leading whackjob. The competition is intense but I will do my best to hold the title.
I thought your comments about the subject matter were, well, what were your comments again?

The most expensive ticket is the $55 family ticket, which is the equiv of four individual tickets work $62 (which means you save money).

Not sure what the OP is on about. $25 for a single adult ticket, $20 for concession and $7 for kids, sounds okay to me, for seeing world class art. You wouldn’t pay much less to see that latest crud out of Hollywood at the cinema.

Quit whinging.

Madam Cholet5:09 pm 15 Jul 13

Definitely only purchased two adult tickets – have checked and says two adults. I bought via the NGA (then to ticketek), and was checking their prices, although website not working right now so can’t confirm. Possibly my bad then. Oh well, at least I can endorse the high tea as yummy, but maybe a tad expensive then?

Agree its only $25. Madam Cholet may have bought 2 family tickets……

I just went and the normal price for an adult is $25. Has someone been scalping museum tickets??????

HiddenDragon1:59 pm 15 Jul 13

Prices like that won’t help to attract much-needed interstate visitors, particularly in a Canberra winter. With the Federal and Territory budgets both under a good deal of pressure, it’s very difficult to see the Gallery having the funding to set entry prices for future blockbusters at attractive, affordable levels.

BombaySapphire1:16 pm 15 Jul 13

Actually, I’m not sure why you paid $55?? Judging by ticketek an adult ticket is only $25?? A family ticket is $55…

http://premier.ticketek.com.au/shows/showtickets.aspx?sh=TURNDAIL13&v=NGA&p=ENGA2013820E

Growling Ferret12:34 pm 15 Jul 13

dungfungus said :

The perceived high cost is probably because Andrew Barr didn’t tip in the usual $500K out of his “Special Events” account.
He may have, but I din’t see any of the fanfare and publicity that usually accompanies these handouts.
This being the case, the “user pays” outcome is a good one for ACT ratepayers.
I certainly wouldn’t pay that sort of money for something as boring as a Turner exhibition.

Dungfungus

As leading whackjob on Riotact these days, what does float your boat? Tea Party conventions? Alan Jones? Torture of small furry animals?

You are Ralph, Crazy Chester and SGS all rolled into 1.

How much is Turner making out of that $55

The perceived high cost is probably because Andrew Barr didn’t tip in the usual $500K out of his “Special Events” account.
He may have, but I din’t see any of the fanfare and publicity that usually accompanies these handouts.
This being the case, the “user pays” outcome is a good one for ACT ratepayers.
I certainly wouldn’t pay that sort of money for something as boring as a Turner exhibition.

BombaySapphire12:18 pm 15 Jul 13

Thank you for writing this – I’m definitely going to treat myself to High Tea, and go on a payday – I had no idea the tickets would be so pricey for Turner! The last few blockbusters were approximately half that price?

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