Program opens up MFA to Northern Essex Students
In September of 2018, The Museum of Fine Arts in Boston received funding from Liz and Bob Pozen in part to fund the Pozen Community College Access Program. This program allows 15 community colleges including NECC free access to the MFA for a possible two years. “As long as [Liz and Bob] keep donating, it will be available,” says Laura Mondt instructor and research librarian at the Haverhill campus. Students will have access to the galleries and special exhibitions including other perks such as a 10 percent discount in the museum shops and discounted tickets to special lectures and film screenings.
Dalia Habib Linssen, head of academic engagement at the MFA says “the MFA offers college students the unique opportunity to learn from artworks that span a range of cultures and time periods from ancient to contemporary.” Mondt says that students only “need to have a current student ID” to be admitted. They do not need to get any special passes from the library before hand. Students should make sure they have the current semester sticker on the back of their ID. If a student is already registered for spring classes they can receive a new sticker at the Student One Stop Center. Currently, the MFA is showing the Winnie-the-Pooh exhibit until January 6.
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Students will have access to the galleries and special exhibitions
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According to the MFA website this exhibit requires a patron to buy tickets online for a time slot to view to the exhibit. The MFA did not respond to clarifying if a student with a free pass would be allowed to view that exhibit or if “buying” a ticket, only meant reserving a spot. But, with over 450,000 objects to view there is plenty to experience without seeing all of the special exhibits. Linssen says, “I’ve found that getting out of the classroom to teach from original works of art sparks student’s curiosity.”
Liz Kelner Pozen, a psychoanalyst with degrees in social work, social anthropology and cultural anthropology is part of the Pozen donation. Liz is also an artist and poet, her work has been showcased across multiple states and although she could not be reached for comment, her husband Robert C.Pozen says of why they donated such a generous gift: “The strategic plan of the MFA says it wants to encourage visitors by young adults in the greater Boston area. So funding free MFA visits by students at community colleges seemed like an effective way to achieve this goal.
Robert Pozen is currently a senior lecturer at the MIT Sloan School of Management, former president of Fidelity Investments and he often writes for the Financial Times, The Washington Post, and The Wall Street Journal.
For more information about this program, select Museum of Fine Arts Institutional Pass Program from the NECC library page. Also, refer to the MFA for updated information.
