HARTFORD, CONN.- In an unprecedented move, the Wadsworth Atheneum Museum of Art will offer free admission to all Hartford city residents, effective immediately.

Through this new initiative-called Wadsworth Welcome-Hartford residents are encouraged to enjoy the experience of art in the company of friends and family without the barrier of paid admission. Currently, regular admission to the museum is $15 for adults and free to those under the age of 18.

"The Wadsworth Atheneum was founded as a place for bringing art and people together in the center of downtown Hartford," said Thomas J. Loughman, Director and CEO. "As stewards of a dynamic and significant collection of global cultural property, we strive to connect everyone with exceptional art experiences. With this initiative, we are shifting the dialogue and stating loud and clear: the Wadsworth is Connecticut's flagship visual arts organization, and it belongs to you."

Museum leadership considered ways to connect with its most immediate neighbors more effectively. With this program, the Wadsworth Atheneum is building upon its already successful, multi-year Community Engagement Initiative, begun in 2009, but at radical scale-expanding the opportunities for free admission from once a month to every day the museum is open. The museum intends for Wadsworth Welcome to restate its relationship with city residents specifically and in bold terms. The program will run through June 2017, at which point it will be evaluated.

The move comes as the iQuilt vision for a revitalized downtown is becoming visible, and amid the fundamental reinvigoration of the Hartford cultural landscape marked by the construction of the UCONN Hartford campus and the recent renovation of the museum itself. Engaging civic leadership, foremost with the City of Hartford, is vital to this project:

"The Wadsworth Atheneum is a truly world class art museum, and I'm so proud of this partnership with Aetna to open to the museum's doors for free to Hartford residents," said Mayor Luke Bronin. "This is exactly the kind of partnership we want to promote-a partnership between a pillar of our corporate community and an incredible Hartford cultural institution to ensure that every resident of Hartford is able to share in the cultural richness of our city."

Through a generous contribution from its long-time corporate supporter Aetna, lead funder of Second Saturdays for Families, the Wadsworth Atheneum will be spreading news of this initiative to city residents through a comprehensive marketing campaign.

"The Wadsworth has been a cornerstone of our community for nearly 175 years, and to see the museum evolve under new leadership is truly inspiring," said Mark T. Bertolini, Chairman and CEO at Aetna. "Expanding free admission will bring cultural enrichment to even more Hartford residents."