Just in case you didn't pay attention the first time . . .

Learning Opportunity!


As you may have heard, the Smithsonian Institution is sending a
traveling exhibition, America's Smithsonian, around the country.
The second venue for the exhibition is Kansas City, where it will
open on April 9th at the H Roe Bartle Hall in the Convention
Center.  The exhibition will be open from 9 am to 8 pm daily.

Accompanying American's Smithsonian is a smaller traveling
exhibition, American Voices - Music at the Smithsonian.  This
exhibition presents three "works in progress" which feature the
social and cultural history of three distinct musical forms: African
American sacred music, musical theater, and rock and soul.
Working with the exhibition team, the Smithsonian's Institutional
Studies Office (ISO) is focusing on collecting material from and
about visitors to Social Roots of Rock and Soul, an exhibition within
American Voices, which will eventually be at the National Museum
of American History in Washington, D.C. and will also travel to
other sites.  ISO's interest is in using social science techniques (e.g.
unobtrusive observations and in-depth interviews) to understand
how visitors are using the current mini-exhibition as well as how
their backgrounds and interests can help inform the planning for
the complete exhibition.

What Can You Do?

If you are interested in the interplay between exhibition
development and the visiting public, you should consider joining
us for our Kansas City data collection period.  Over a three-day
period, April 25 through April 27, we will be observing and
interviewing visitors to Social Roots of Rock and Soul.  To participate,
we would require a minimum two-day commitment, including an
orientation session on Thursday morning, April 25 at the Kansas
City Convention Center.  If you are interested in continuing your
participation, we may be able to arrange for you to collect
additional data after our visit.  In addition, you would have an
opportunity to comment on our Kansas City report and share your
insights with us.


If you would like additional information, please contact Zahava D.
Doering either by phone [202-786-2232], fax [202-786-2648] or
through e-mail: [log in to unmask]