. Adam Bickford Andrew J. Pekarik Zahava D. Doering Steven S. Yalowitz . Professional interviewers and observers Nancy Clusen, Melinda Fancher, Sonia Friedman, Dagny Glover, Eric Green, Suzanne McFadden, Kathryn Moore, Betsy Mullins. more
. Adam Bickford Andrew J. Pekarik Zahava D. Doering Steven S. Yalowitz . Professional interviewers and observers Nancy Clusen, Melinda Fancher, Sonia Friedman, Dagny Glover, Eric Green, Suzanne McFadden, Kathryn Moore, Betsy Mullins, Tricia Richardson, Holliday Ridge .
This article reports on a study conducted for an exhibition team at the Smithsonian's National Museum of American History (NMAH). As part of the planning process for a major exhibition, we studied visitors at a small preview exhibition. more
This article reports on a study conducted for an exhibition team at the Smithsonian's National Museum of American History (NMAH). As part of the planning process for a major exhibition, we studied visitors at a small preview exhibition, The Social Roots of Rock and Soul. Personal interviews, including a tape-recorded portion in front of the Rock and Soul display about the images and the themes, were conducted at four venues of the Smithsonian's 150th Anniversary traveling exhibition, America's Smithsonian (Los Angeles, Kansas City, St. Paul, and Houston).The most significant finding from visitor responses is strong regional differences. The study also showed that visitors responded to the images and storyline differently, depending on whether the material was presented through video or panels.
This article presents results from an ongoing research project that investigates the experiences visitors find satisfying in museums. Using a list constructed from interviews with visitors and surveys, data were obtained from visitors in. more
This article presents results from an ongoing research project that investigates the experiences visitors find satisfying in museums. Using a list constructed from interviews with visitors and surveys, data were obtained from visitors in nine Smithsonian museums. Analysis of the results showed that experiences can be classified into four categories: Object experiences, Cognitive experiences, Introspective experiences, and Social experiences. The article points out that the type of most satisfying experience differs according to the characteristics of museums, exhibitions, and visitors. It also proposes an interpretation for these data, and suggests some possible applications.
In the year after the exhibition Science in American Life opened at the National Museum of American History objections were raised by the exhibition's chief sponsor, the American Chemical Society, and by the American Physical Society. more
In the year after the exhibition Science in American Life opened at the National Museum of American History objections were raised by the exhibition's chief sponsor, the American Chemical Society, and by the American Physical Society. These critics argued that the exhibition gave the public a negative view of science. The Institutional Studies Office was asked to conduct a study to determine whether or not the exhibition was affecting visitors' views of science, and, if so, in what direction. Using an entrance/exit survey design, the study determined conclusively that the visiting public entered the exhibition with a very positive view of science and technology and that their views were reinforced and confirmed by the experience of Science in American Life, rather than changed in either a positive or negative direction.
This article describes a study of The Power of Maps, an exhibition presented in 1992 at the Cooper-Hewitt, National Design Museum, in New York City. The study compared the result of surveys administered to visitors at the Cooper-Hewitt as. more
This article describes a study of The Power of Maps, an exhibition presented in 1992 at the Cooper-Hewitt, National Design Museum, in New York City. The study compared the result of surveys administered to visitors at the Cooper-Hewitt as they entered and exited the exhibition with a control group of surveys administered to visitors at the National Portrait Gallery in Washington, DC, who had not seen The Power of Maps exhibition. It was found that visitors who were surveyed as they entered the exhibition were closer in agreement with the message of the exhibition than the control group. It was also found that visitors surveyed upon exiting The Power of Maps exhibition were in closer agreement with the message of the exhibition than with visitors who were surveyed as they entered the exhibition. The study demonstrates that it is possible to document a change in visitors' conceptions about a topic as a result of hearing about or visiting an exhibition and reliably determine the degree to which exhibitions can influence visitors.
This article describes a study of the exhibition “Degenerate Art”: The Fate of the Avant-Garde in Nazi Germany conducted in 1991 and 1992 at two venues, Washington, DC, and Berlin, Germany. The study, based on survey data, found that. more
This article describes a study of the exhibition “Degenerate Art”: The Fate of the Avant-Garde in Nazi Germany conducted in 1991 and 1992 at two venues, Washington, DC, and Berlin, Germany. The study, based on survey data, found that visitors in both locations were very similar, and that their descriptions of the main purpose of the exhibition were also alike. The two audiences differed strongly, however, on whether or not the exhibition had anything to do with their lives. A significantly higher percentage of Washington visitors found the exhibition personally relevant. The paper attributes this difference to the concerns of the two audiences at that time. Specifically, it links the Washington reaction to the contemporaneous controversy regarding the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA). Overall, the study addresses the relationship between prior attitudes and exhibition experiences.
This article summarizes a background study conducted for museum staff planning the National Museum of the American Indian on the National Mall in Washington, DC. Through interviews we identified attitudes of Smithsonian visitors toward. more
This article summarizes a background study conducted for museum staff planning the National Museum of the American Indian on the National Mall in Washington, DC. Through interviews we identified attitudes of Smithsonian visitors toward Native Americans. Three results stand out: First, although most visitors have had some minimal contact with contemporary Native Americans, imagery of the past dominated their responses. This past is characterized as a period in which Native Americans had freedom of movement, had control over their destiny, and lived in harmony with nature. This peaceful existence was destroyed with the arrival of the Europeans. Second, current Indian life is seen as grim, except in those cases where Native Americans have fully assimilated into urban environments. Implicit is an assumption that traditional life and values can only be maintained on reservations. At the same time, reservations are associated with poverty, alcoholism, unemployment, and poor health care. Third, visitors would like the new museum to emphasize aspects of Native life and culture that are unique or different from their own. Overall, visitors have only a cursory familiarity with Native philosophy, history, or current conditions. Very few express strongly held beliefs or positions about Native Americans.
This article discusses how museums relate to their visitors. It introduces three interpretive categories to summarize the ways that museums view their visitors: as Strangers, Guests, or Clients. Strangers: This attitude arises when the. more
This article discusses how museums relate to their visitors. It introduces three interpretive categories to summarize the ways that museums view their visitors: as Strangers, Guests, or Clients. Strangers: This attitude arises when the museum maintains that its primary responsibility is to the collection and not to the public. Guests: From this point of view, the museum wants to “do good” for visitors primarily through “educational” activities. Clients: In this attitude the museum believes that its primary responsibility is to be accountable to the visitor. This article suggests that social trends will force museums to treat visitors as clients. Institutions will then acknowledge that visitors have needs, expectations, and wants that the museum is obligated to understand and meet. Also discussed are four major categories of experiences that individuals find most satisfying in museums: (1) Social experiences center on one or more other people, besides the visitor; (2) Object experiences give prominence to the artifact or the “real thing”; (3) Cognitive experiences emphasize the interpretive or intellectual aspects of the experience; and (4) Introspective experiences focus on the visitor's personal reflections, usually triggered by an object or a setting in the museum. The categories are based on empirical research conducted in different Smithsonian museums. The article concludes with a brief discussion of museum settings, or “servicescapes,” that support or detract from the experiences of visitors.