The Peabody Essex Museum has been a lot of things in its over two centuries of history.

From its origins as a repository of artifacts and wonders from across the globe to its position today as one of America’s largest art and culture museums, PEM has, in its way, always been committed to the same mission -- to celebrate artistic and cultural creativity, to increase knowledge, enrich the spirit, to engage the mind and stimulate the senses. We have had the honor of serving this mission for over a million minds and spirits in just the last decade, and we are committed to ensuring that there are no barriers keeping anyone outside our doors and from enjoying our world-class exhibitions.

With the support and encouragement of our broad community, PEM has taken steps to open our doors to all kinds of people. At the opening of our new building in 2003, we invited the public in free of charge to celebrate our milestone and to enjoy our beautiful new space, and we have been honored to take part in the Highland Street Foundation’s Free Fun Fridays program for the last 11 years. Our museum is always free to Salem residents, veterans, active military families and Massachusetts teachers. Last year, we partnered with the Massachusetts Cultural Council and EBT Card to Culture to welcome families participating in the state’s Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) program as well, bringing in hundreds of families who may have otherwise been unable to visit.

In February at the Boston Children’s Museum, EBT Card to Culture celebrated its successes in facilitating cultural experiences for thousands of people all over the state. There, Mass Cultural Council’s Executive Director Anita Walker recounted a number of stories of the program’s success, including one of a woman who had been a supporter and consumer of the arts her whole life but had fallen on hard times. The Card to Culture program, she said, had been her saving grace. With all the struggles with housing, bills, healthcare, with getting enough to eat, that EBT card was a passport that got her into all those places she’d loved but could no longer afford. It was the one thing, the woman said, that made her feel “normal.”