GAINESVILLE, FLA.- The Harn Museum of Art at the University of Florida has received $280,000 in funding from Art Bridges Foundation’s Access for All program to continue the museum’s popular Art After Dark program through December 2026. Art After Dark offers visitors extended hours until 9 pm every Thursday evening. These hours provide more time to explore the permanent collection, experience special exhibitions and enjoy activities, food and drinks while listening to local musicians on select evenings.

"Thanks to an initial gift from a private foundation, the Harn has been open and free to the public on Thursday evenings since January 2023,” said Harn Museum of Art Director, Dr. Lee Anne Chesterfield. “Now, thanks to the generosity of the Art Bridges Foundation’s Access for All program, Art After Dark is fully funded until 2026. This generous support will allow the museum to provide a gathering place for the community every Thursday evening. We are very pleased that the Harn's attendance numbers are setting all-time records thanks to the museum's extended evening hours.”

Art Bridges Foundation, the national arts nonprofit founded by philanthropist Alice Walton, announced Oct. 11 the launch of Access for All, providing $40 million in funding to 64 museums nationwide. The initiative aims to increase access to museums across the country and foster engagement with local communities by covering the costs of free admission days and expanded free hours as well as programming, outreach and community partnerships that together, will eliminate many common barriers to access.

“Everyone, no matter where they live, deserves access to art. That’s why we started Art Bridges: to support museums in deepening their connections with local communities, and to pave the way for new audiences to experience the creativity and joy that comes with seeing art,” said Alice Walton, Founder and Board Chair of Art Bridges. “Access for All is our biggest and most ambitious effort to date, dedicating $40 million toward bridging gaps between museums of all sizes and their communities in order to foster meaningful connections and expand arts access in every region, from Peoria to Puerto Rico.”

“We are thrilled to launch Access for All, a historic partnership with cultural institutions across the country to make it easier for people in every U.S. region to see and experience art. At Art Bridges, we can’t wait to see our trusted partners get creative and deliver impact to their communities,” Alice Walton said. “In the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, we are confident Access for All will not only help to rebuild museum attendance but also bring more people than ever into museum galleries and reshape the arts world as one that is open to all.”

Among the 64 partners representing a broad range of locations are the Howard University Gallery of Arts (Washington, D.C.); Museo de Arte de Puerto Rico (San Juan, PR); Plains Art Museum (Fargo, ND); Portland Museum of Art (Portland, ME); San Diego Museum of Art (San Diego, CA); Whitney Museum of American Art (New York, NY); Wichita Art Museum (Wichita, KS); Yellowstone Art Museum (Billings, MT) and the Harn Museum of Art (Gainesville, FL).