They had some interesting art and I really appreci...

They had some interesting art and I really appreciated the historic house. I'm not a fan of museums that you have to pay for, due to the creation of an inaccessible environment, and to have them charge to see an art exhibit about the current global refugee situation- with NO indication the profits were being sent to help those affected by the horrors in their home country/ the issues in the countries they are fleeing to- I feel as if they were exploiting these people for their own profit. I understand that many exhibits are difficult to see, and that the museum may need money, but this specific exhibit is not the way to make money, unless it is actually going to the people and situations depicted. Whether or not the exhibit contained this content, the museum is set up in such a way that you can't fully avoid the part you need to pay for, so they have tons of employees (maybe volunteers?) ushering the non-paying visitors to the free sections to reduce the amount of pay-exhibit seen. It would at least make me feel less guilty to not be a paying visitor if they completely closed off the floors you had to pay for, instead of walking in and then having an employee run over and tell me I'm not suppossed to be there, and here's some vague directions on how to get to the free part. Or maybe even put the Rothko Room in the designated free section- not within the charged section. The Rothko Room is listed as a free permanent exhibit, but is located deep within the charged section, making it uncomfortable to get to without paying. I heard about this museum and specifically it's Rothko Room on a screen while riding the DC metro months ago, and was excited to be able to see Rothko's paintings in person after studying them for so long. I planned a trip back to DC to see it. After wandering around the large but very sparse free area, I finally found the Rothko Room within the charged exhibit. I had two employees usher me through the charged exhibit (quickly, so I didn't see much) and I felt as if I were a burden in the free section of a museum I travelled six hours from college to see. It is extra ironic that this room is meant for meditation, and I was made to feel uncomfortable and nervous for existing in this space because I did not pay for this exploitive exhibit.