For a museum that normally charges $25 just to walk through the door — and $30 if you want to see a special exhibition — SFMOMA's decision to slash general admission to $15 from March 2 through April 17 is, frankly, a breath of fresh air.

Let's be honest: San Francisco's cultural institutions have a pricing problem. In a city where a burrito already runs you $16, asking a young professional or a family of four to drop $100 just to look at some Rothkos on a Saturday afternoon is a tough sell. Museums wonder why attendance skews older and wealthier. The answer isn't complicated — it's the price tag.

The $15 window is a smart move, and we'd argue SFMOMA should be watching the data closely. If attendance surges and gift shop and café revenue follows, this could make the case for a permanent price reduction. The best museum in the world is worthless if nobody can afford to go.

Now, the skeptic in us has questions. Is this a genuine effort to broaden access, or is it a marketing play to boost numbers during a traditionally slow stretch? SFMOMA is a private nonprofit, so they're free to price however they want — and that's how it should be. No taxpayer subsidies needed, just a market responding to demand. That's the kind of solution we love to see.

Here's our unsolicited advice: if you've been meaning to check out the collection but couldn't justify the cost, this seven-week window is your shot. Bring a friend. Bring a date. Bring your weird cousin who "doesn't get art" — at $15, the stakes are low enough to experiment.

San Francisco needs more of this energy: institutions actually trying to earn the public's time and money instead of assuming they're owed it. We'll be watching to see if the discounted doors lead to a packed house — and whether SFMOMA has the courage to make it permanent.