Conventional wisdom suggests that in lean times, making one’s services free isn’t the best idea.

Perhaps that makes sense for those whose tastes also tilt toward the conventional. But that’s never been a problem for the Delaware Center for the Contemporary Arts.

Here, among bank offices like Barclays, the skeletal beginnings of the Star Building next door, and the pristine facades of Justison Landing’s new condo and apartment buildings, the banner hung vertically above the grey industrial building’s entrance proudly declares FREE!

It’s been that way since last November, when Maxine Gaiber, the DCCA’s executive director since 2006, instituted the open-door policy with the support of the organization’s board of directors. With the DCCA heading into the celebrations of its 30th anniversary, there has been no talk of reinstating paid admission, she says.

“I think not having admission and having access for everybody is really indicative of the direction we want for our future,” Gaiber says. “It’s really about accessibility. It’s about responding to people’s curiosity.”

The inspiration for eliminating admission fees came after Gaiber heard a speech by Ford Bell, president of the American Association of Museums, in which he noted that 40 percent of American museums don’t charge admission.

Gaiber began checking with many of those museums about how such a move affected both attendance and the bottom line. The results surprised her. Of the admitting visitors for free, both the number of visitors and members had increased.

“It didn’t have the adverse financial effect that most people expect,” she says.

What it did do is emphasize, to both Wilmington art buffs and those whose art experience might be more limited, that the DCCA is a place where they’re welcome.

“Part of it is getting people in the door,” says artist Carson Zullinger, a DCCA board member and one of the original founders of the group. “If you get people in the door, they’ll be interested in the organization, and they’ll give us money, anyway.”

In fact, the money lost from free admission has already been entirely offset by increased giving from DCCA members, Zullinger says. “We use it as a marketing tool to the community, so we can go back to the members and say, ‘You’re the ones who support us and make it possible for anyone to come in.’”

That’s why adding more members and sponsors is even more important moving forward, Gaiber says. “If I looked at our donor base, it’s probably close to 1,000 people, and we really need to double that.”

But that financial support doesn’t emerge from thin air. And in spite of the massive development that has taken place around the DCCA in the last five years, the center still has to hustle for every dollar it gets.

Part of that hustle will be to boost even further the DCCA’s involvement with its neighbors and among the Wilmington arts community as a whole. The office buildings that have sprung up around the center now provide for an increasing lunchtime crowd to attend the center’s Art Salad events, says Sara Monserrat Teixido, the DCCA’s director of marketing and communications. The increasing residency at Justison Landing will help boost attendance at all events.

As a result, this year’s fundraising efforts are taking a multi-pronged approach, both in the age groups and levels of financial support they target. That’s why community outreach and involvement has become a primary objective of the DCCA as it moves into its fourth decade of existence.

A primary objective is simply getting the word out about what the DCCA has to offer. Communicating that the center is a modern, vibrant space in which to feature the works of living artists is an important part of that.

It’s also important for people to know that no matter what their taste or how deep their understanding of art, there’s likely something among the DCCA’s offerings that people will appreciate, she says.

The offerings on this early September day were perfect examples. In the DuPont I Gallery, the works of Zoë Charlton are paired with altered motion pictures to address issues of womanhood and race in society, using stereotypical imagery of women—such as cheerleaders—shown as partially nude with their heads shrouded in Klansman hoods.

Next door in the DuPont II Gallery, the paintings of Allen Bentley explore the color and dynamism of ballroom dancers, capturing the precision of their steps and fluidity of their motion from unusual angles.

Meanwhile, in the E. Avery Draper Showcase, Hratch Babikian’s handcrafted jewelry and works of metal and wood explore the intersection of artistic expression and fine craftsmanship.

That diversity—along with the fact that because the artists are still living, they can often appear in person to represent their works—makes the DCCA’s appeal particularly acute to younger adults, Gaiber says. “It’s a cool place to see and be seen. We really are aiming at the younger audience, who gravitate nationally toward what’s new and what’s different.”

A variety of anniversary events also cast a wide net. The 30th Birthday Bash on Oct. 16 (7 to 10 p.m.) will be a casual, fun, and less-expensive party to help raise funds and build membership among younger folks in the city. The event will feature food by Harry’s Savoy Grill and a silent auction.

The next day, families and community groups are invited to participate in the DCCA’s Kinetic Sculpture Race and Family Day. Described as “more of a spectacle” than a race, everyone is invited to create some form of moving sculpture to enter in the event. The DCCA’s more formal Gala and Live Auction will be Nov. 14 from 8 to 11 p.m.

Meanwhile, the center’s new docent program will help those of all ages better appreciate the DCCA’s offerings by conducting in-house tours for groups and by going to places like kindergartens and senior-living communities to discuss contemporary art.

“It’s another kind of marketing and another way of making people aware of who we are and what we do,” Gaiber says. “We need to move on—from ‘Wow, I’ve never been here’ to ‘This is terrific! I’ve heard so much about it and I had to come in.’”