The Art Memberships Every Cultural Traveler Needs in Turkey
Courtesy of CerModern
Turkey’s art scene continues to grow with exhibitions from renowned local and international artists as well as festivals and biennials. An art membership with an annual fee at Istanbul’s or Ankara’s important art institutions definitely pays off in terms of discounts and inclusion in special events.
CerModern
Located in Turkey’s capital, Ankara’s CerModern is one of the country’s most important hubs for contemporary art as well as regular workshops and events revolving around art. CerModern offers five different memberships that go from individual to VIP. The lowest price is the Individual membership for 130TL, which includes priority access to the exhibitions, a 10% discount at the CerShop, a 5% discount at all workshops, and a members-only newsletter. The Golden membership (1500TL) also includes free parking, priority booking for all events, and a 10% discount for renting the museum space for events. The VIP membership (5000TL) includes access to guided tours with artists and curators, additional free memberships (one individual and two student), and mention of your name in the sponsorship labels.
Sakıp Sabancı Museum | Courtesy of Sakıp Sabancı Museum
A mansion by the Bosphorus with a beautiful garden, once belonging to the wealthy Sabancı family, the Sakıp Sabancı Museum is truly one of a kind in terms of its architecture as well as exhibitions. Visitors who have been to the museum four times with full admission in one year can present their tickets and sign up for the SSM Friend card. Members enjoy free admission to the museum and its members-only events, free audio guides, a 10% discount for education programs, a 10% discount at the store and the restaurant, and a free exhibition poster.
Istanbul’s most important hub for contemporary art, Istanbul Modern offers an individual membership for 180TL that is one of the most advantageous for the price. The membership includes free admission for one year, discounted admission for your guest, previews of exhibitions, invitations to exhibition openings, expert guided tours, free entry to the Istanbul Modern Cinema screenings, a 10% discount on programs and workshops as well as the restaurant, and invitations to members-only events. The membership categories also include family (350TL), young (1,400TL), silver (1,800TL), and gold (6,500TL) that present even more advantages such as collaborations with museums and art institutions abroad, special art excursions, and visits to galleries and artist studios.
Located in the heart of Istanbul in a beautiful neoclassical building, the Pera Museum has hosted some of the most important names from the art world, including Pablo Picasso and Frida Kahlo. The Peracard is available for individuals (100TL), students (50TL), and families (500TL) and includes such special advantages as free admission to the museum and film screenings throughout the year, members-only guided tours, a 50% discount at events, and a 20% discount at the café and shop.
The Istanbul Foundation for Culture and Arts is responsible for the annual Film, Theater, Music, Design, and Jazz Festivals as well as the very important Biennial. It’s, therefore, a pretty great idea to get on board with one of their Tulip membership cards that include Blue (50TL), Yellow (150TL), Red (450TL), White (4500TL), and Black (10,000TL). The smallest membership card (blue) includes such privileges as receiving e-mail notifications regarding the IKSV events before the general announcements, discounts at the events, a 10% discount for tickets at Salon IKSV (one of the city’s coolest concert and events venues), and discounts at Tulip Card partners such as distinguished restaurants, cafés, cinemas, theaters, and bookshops. The most expensive membership (black) includes guaranteed seats at every event; a 25% discount for two extra tickets at every event; invitations for the opening ceremonies; an invitation to a special screening plus cocktail and reception for members only; free valet parking; a 20% discount at the IKSV design store; and the announcement of your contribution in the event catalogues, panels at festival venues, and the website.
