Our marketing department has become pretty good at analyzing exhibition
attendance demographics . . .but the museum is operating at a primitive
level when evaluating the success of exhibitions in terms of anything but
numbers through the door.

The exhibitions department has started surveying visitors about their
reactions to such things as content, installation design, text panels (both
readability and interest level), lighting, seating, and audioguide.  We also
ask a couple of questions to find out if they "got" the message we were
trying to convey.

Our survey is a homegrown affair, designed in desperation to get SOME kind
of information.  I realize that evaluation (and interpretation) is a
specialized field, perhaps best left to the professionals, but at this point
we don't have funds to hire a consultant.  If anyone is having success with
a particular evaluation instrument and would be willing to share it with us,
I'd be very grateful.  In exchange, I'd be happy to e-mail you the survey
we're using for our current exhibition, Edgar Degas:  Figures in Motion.

I've found a few useful publications on exhibition evaluation, notably
Beverly Serrell's article in the spring 2001 issue of Exhibitionist and
Barry and Gail Lord's new Manual of Museum Exhibitions.  Anything other
outstanding resources you can recommend?  Thanks!

Marie Via, Curator of Exhibitions
Memorial Art Gallery
500 University Avenue
Rochester, NY  14607
Phone: 585.473.7720, x3012
Fax:  585.473.6266

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