A STUDY OF STRUCTURED EDUCATION PROGRAMS FOR ADULT AUDIENCES IN ART MUSEUMS AND RELATED INSTITUTIONS
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Authors
Armistead, Julie
Issue Date
1992
Type
Capstone
Language
en
Keywords
Alternative Title
Abstract
The purpose of this study was to determine the percentage of American art museums and related institutions that provided structured education programs for adults in 1990, and whether participation in those programs led to increased support primarily through attendance and membership.
A survey was conducted of art museums and galleries in the United States to discover the number and type of structured education programs being offered. From the results of the survey, six museums were chosen, researched and documented as case studies.
The results of the study indicated that there are benefits both for museums offering structured education programs and for the participating adults as well. For the museums, there was a strong positive effect on attendance and membership reported by participants. Adults became more comfortable being in the museum and using its resources. They reported growing feelings of goodwill toward the museum, and explained that the programs contributed toward the development of a sense of community ownership. The museum became "their" museum, and they in turn began encouraging others to visit, attend programs and join.
Based on the results of the study, the researcher then suggested that art museums and related institutions should make adult programming a priority, and presented recommendations that stressed the need for museum program planners to understand the characteristics of adults as learners and to place more emphasis on objects and object-oriented teaching.