MMCA, Lotte Museum of Art announce plans for membership programs

The National Museum of Modern and Contemporary (MMCA) and the Lotte Museum of Art (LMoA) announced Monday new plans for each museum's memberships. The MMCA renewed its "MMCA Art Salon" programs, which will begin Thursday and be extended to be ...

The National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art's Seoul branch in Jongno District, central Seoul [MMCA]

The National Museum of Modern and Contemporary (MMCA) and the Lotte Museum of Art (LMoA) announced Monday new plans for each museum's memberships.

The MMCA renewed its "MMCA Art Salon" programs, which will begin Thursday and be extended to be held two to three times a month at the membership lounge inside the MMCA.

The programs range from conference sessions with the museum's curators, lectures from cultural experts and workshops for its members.

The experts include those in fields like contemporary art, music, literature, philosophy, cooking and architecture.

In conference sessions, the MMCA's curators discuss behind-the-scenes stories about their exhibitions.

Each program will consist of 20 to 50 members and require reservations on a first-come, first-served basis.

The annual membership fee varies from 70,000 ($53) to 100,000 won. For more information on the schedule, visit the MMCA's website.

The Lotte Museum of Art in Songpa District, southern Seoul [LMOA]

The LMoA launched its first membership program, "White+," which allows members to visit the museum's exhibitions 12 times a year for free. The museum says this is 58 percent cheaper than buying regular tickets, which are 20,000 won.

Members get a 5 to 20 percent discount at the museum's gift shop and cafe. The membership also offers a 5 to 10 percent discount for tickets for shows at the Lotte Concert Hall.

The annual membership fee is 100,000 won. Anyone can sign up for it on the LMoA's website until Sept. 10 for the first term, starting on Sept. 26 and ending on Sept. 25 next year.

Both memberships are currently only available in Korean.

BY SHIN MIN-HEE [shin.minhee@joongang.co.kr]