Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle Michelangelo Visits MET's Michelangelo Show

The Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York hired an actor dressed as the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle Michelangelo to promote its exhibition 'The Met Michelangelo: Divine Draftsman and Designer.' Photos of the costumed character wandering through the museum's galleries were shared on the MET's social media pages, aiming to attract children and young visitors. The character, named after Renaissance artist Michelangelo Buonarroti (1475–1564), is part of a franchise created in 1984 by Mirage Studios and artists Kevin Eastman and Peter Laird. The stunt coincides with the MET's recent reintroduction of a $25 admission fee for out-of-state visitors, replacing the longstanding 'pay-as-you-wish' policy. Children under 12 and New York State residents still enter free. The policy change has sparked controversy, with critics arguing it divides visitors by origin and wealth. The article also notes other art-education initiatives, such as a short film by Disney artists Aaron Blaise and Chuck Williams about a grandfather and grandson exploring artworks, and another short about the rivalry between Henri Matisse (1869–1954) and Pablo Picasso (1881–1973).