When “wall obstructions” become teachable moments: Learning in Museums 2008

Peter SamisAssociate Curator, InterpretationSan Francisco Museum of Modern Art

AAM-LiM Minneapolis 20 June 2008

This is our Problem Space:

Visual Velcro

The ability of an image or object to grab you, stop you in your tracks, reach down into you, and stay with you.

VelcroTeflon

Some things have velcro even though they look clean and polished…

Mirrors, for instance.

Or even moreso, “The Bean.”

3,591 images on flickr.[These 5 by Ken Ilio.]

When there’s no velcro, we supply the hooks.

[used by Wayne Gretzky as a child]

Different objects have different hooks suited to them…

urbanmkr, ...in our borrowed tackle box

Sometimes it’s a case of what’s missing.

Sometimes it’s a case of what’s there.

We have tools. Some are traditional…

QuickTime™ and aTIFF (Uncompressed) decompressor

are needed to see this picture.

and others are technological.

TABLE 43RATINGS OF INTERPRETIVE OFFERINGS

RATING7-POINT RATING SCALE:DID NOT HELP ME APPRECIATE BARNEY’S ART (1) /HELPED ME APPRECIATE BARNEY’S ART (7) n MEAN ±

Cell phone audio tour 46 6.2 1.10Podcast audio tour 18 6.2 0.81Antenna audio guide headset tour 50 5.6 1.44Learning Lounge 95 5.5 1.45Exhibition brochure 131 5.2 1.53Exhibition Web site 31 5.2 1.37Drawing Restraint 9 film 40 5.1 1.92Exhibition introduction wall text 182 4.7 1.65

—Randi Korn & Associates

INTERPRETIVE OFFERINGS (COLLAPSED) USED BYRESPONDENTS (I N PERCENT)

USED

INTERPRETIVE OFFERINGS (n = 251) %

Exhibition introduction wall text 78Exhibition brochure 55Learning Lounge (one or more offerings) 51Audio tour (audio guide headset, cellphone, or podcast)

47

Drawing Restraint 9 film 17Exhibition Web site 15SFMOMA docent- led public tour 2

How do we know when to choose which?

Or put another way:

Use Pattern / Value Rating of Barney Interpretive Resources

0102030405060708090

Introductory wall textExhibition brochureLearning Lounge

Audio tour (3 options)Exhibition Web site

% of visitors using resource

01234567

Visitor rating of resource value

USED (%)

RATING (1–7 scale)

This is ourOpportunity Space!

Answer the Big Questions

• Why would anyone make/collect this?• What’s it doing in this big (or little)

museum?• What does it have to do with the

other works around it?• What would I be doing if I made this

— or were in this historic person’s boots?

Hypothetical Demand Curve:

QuickTime™ and aTIFF (Uncompressed) decompressor

are needed to see this picture.

Honor the artist—and the object.Honor the visitor.

Meet your visitors where they are.

&

Thank you.

Additional Photo CreditsMarshall Astor, Walter Kitundu - Fifteen String Phonoharp label - Museum of Craft and Folk Art, San FranciscoMarshall Astor, De Young Museum - Burroughs photograph - labelMr. T in DC, Grumman F4F-4 Wildcat Info