Could it be that Madison, Wisconsin, is on the cutting edge of museum admission policy?

Could it be that Madison has been on the cutting edge all along?

According to the Reuters news agency, as reported in the New York Times last week, France is going to try offering free admission to 18 of its national museums through June 30. The French government wants to see if the move boosts attendance.

Some of the museums, including the legendary Louvre in Paris, will offer free admission to their permanent collections (but presumably not their expensive touring shows, although that isn't specified in the news report), and others will offer free admission to people under 26 one night a week.

Normally, entrance fees to French museums range from $9 to $12, according to the same Times story. French authorities also told Reuters they hope big lines of tourists will entice French citizens into going to museums.

How about here in the U.S.?

In major cities such as Chicago and New York and even nearby Milwaukee, museum admission often runs between $10 and $20.

But, hey, in Madison all the major museums offer free admission to both permanent and touring shows.

Always have.

And, one hopes, always will.

The museums include the University of Wisconsin's Chazen Museum of Art, the Madison Museum of Contemporary Art in the Overture Center, (designed by Caesar Pelli and pictured at the top left), the Wisconsin Historical Museum, the UW Design Gallery, the Wisconsin Veterans Museum, the Overture Center community galleries, the Wisconsin Academy's James Watrous Gallery in the Overture Center, and the Wisconsin Union Galleries.

True, all those museums ask for donations, suggest donations or have a donations box.

But that is purely voluntary and on as pay-as-you-can-or-want basis.

That puts art right in line with the state's great progressive political tradition and the Wisconsin Idea that the boundaries of the university are the borders of the state.

Art, like political power, belongs to the people.

My guess is that it is very tempting for local museum administrators who often feel budget strapped to institute admission fees, which will be nominal at first and then of course eventually and inevitably rise.

Still, the Madison museum heads wisely avoid the temptation.

But does free admission really work? you might wonder.

The same New York Times story notes that museum attendance in Britain has jumped 50 percent since free admission was instituted in 2001.

How much does it cost to get into the major museums where you are?

What do you think of free admission to museums?

Would you go to more art shows near you if they were free?

Would more children get to see art if admission were free?

Let Art talk and its blossoming international readership - responses have come from all over Europe, North America, South America and Japan - know.