The Challenge of Engaging Millennials in Art Museums
As highlighted in various studies, including the most recent 2014 Culture Track Report, Millennials function and think very differently than Generation X or Baby-Boomers when interacting with cultural institutions. For younger generations such interactions are motivated by the need to spend time with other people rather than a desire to learn about a specific topic or collection. This is why providing opportunities for participation, social interaction, and entertainment is fundamental for attracting and retaining Millennial audiences. If museums do not change the manner in which they engage their audiences, they will find themselves suddenly irrelevant within the next decade. Over the past two years the Indianapolis Museum of Art has made a significant effort to move away from the more passive forms of interaction traditionally offered in art museums, towards a new engagement model that supports social interaction, participation and entertainment to better connect with emerging audiences and ensure the future of the institution. This new ¡°people first¡± model has been applied to both our exhibitions and public programs and has led to the implementation of a number of initiatives in which visitors become active participants in the museum experience. This manifests itself in many unique and sometimes surprising ways, from immersive cinema programs, to interactive performances mixed with culinary elements to opportunities to design and develop aspects of exhibitions. The goal is to guarantee that the next generation (not just Millennials) develop a deep and meaningful relationship with the museum, and to view it not as a static archive, but as a constantly changing hub of activity, conversation and community. In this presentation, representatives of the IMA Interpretation and Audience Experience and Performance teams will provide an overview of the principles behind their new engagement model; examples of key projects; as well as some of the data that has been collected about how visitors have responded to this change and how this has impacted on their demographics and psychographics.
The Challenge of Engaging Millennials in Art Museums
- 1. THE CHALLENGE OF ENGAGING MILLENNIALS IN ART MUSEUMS Silvia Filippini-Fantoni @silviaff20 Scott Stulen @middlewest
- 3. NEA study
- 4. LaPlaca Cohen: Culture Track, 2014
- 5. Create in-gallery activities & programs that support: ? Participation ? Multi-sensory experiences ? Social interaction ? Entertainment The IMA Approach
- 6. Participation In Exhibition Development
- 7. 21% 21% 27% 31% 0% 5% 10% 15% 20% 25% 30% 35% Art Deco Automobiles Duesenbergs Automobile Masterpieces Concept Cars Front-End: Automobile Design
- 11. Test It Lab
- 12. Visual Identity Testing Option 1 Option 2 Option 3
- 13. Title Testing Paintings in the Round ? Round room (12) ? Round objects (8) ? Paintings of round objects (7) ? Music round (5) ? Circular paintings, round canvas (4) ? Architecture (2) ? Theatre (2) ? Abstract/Geometric Art (3), etc. On the Flipside: Secrets on the Back of Paintings
- 15. Summative Evaluation ? Have learning outcomes been met? ? Are visitors satisfied with their experience? ? How do they engage with the art and interpretive tools? ? What problems do visitors encounter? ? Who visited the exhibition ?
- 18. Draw a Still Life
- 19. Make Your Own Print
- 21. Less Text More Visuals
- 26. 2/3 observed visitors TOUCHED THE COLOR WHEEL and DID THE FOCUS ACTIVITY Color Wheel and Focus Activities STIMULATED CONVERSATION
- 27. Entertainment
- 29. Which Dream Car Are You?
- 31. Operation Decode
- 32. Guess the # of Books
- 33. Results
- 35. BEAUTY & BELIEF AI WEIWEI INDIANA FACE TO FACE O¡¯KEEFFE Learning Outcome 1 73% 87% 97% 93% 90% Learning Outcome 2 67% 77% 86% 83% 80% Learning Outcome 3 67% 53% 79% 63% 57% Learning Outcome 4 60% 47% 79% 50% 57% Learning Outcome 5 47% 40% 62% 37% 53% Learning Outcome 6 40% 40% 34% 33% 33% Learning Outcome 7 30% 30% 24% 20% 30% Learning Outcome 8 23% 27% Old Model New Model Key Messages
- 36. High Usage of Interpretative Tools 30-50% 40-70% 46%60%
- 38. ? More likely to use hands-on and participatory experiences: ? Families ? People visiting with other adults ? 34 and younger ? Facilitators ? More likely to use text-based interpretation, audio guides, guided tours: ? 55+ ? Explorers & Professional Hobbyists
- 39. Growing # of Facilitators
- 41. ARTx serves as a platform for innovative, participatory engagement with the IMA through dynamic and sustainable public programming.
- 42. OPEN FIELD
- 45. SOCIAL
- 47. POP-UP PARK
- 49. COMMUNITY DAYS
- 50. FAMILY DAYS
- 51. CEREAL CINEMA
- 52. KNOW NO STRANGER
- 53. B-MOVIE BINGO
- 55. PARTICIPATORY
- 58. ARTxFIT
- 59. KARL UNNASCH
- 60. E IS FOR EQUINOX
- 62. UNIQUE
- 65. WATER MINING
- 66. CHRIS KALLMYER
- 67. SILENT NIGHT
- 68. PERSONAL DJ
- 70. FUN
- 71. Fun Does Not Equal Frivolous Smart Does Not Equal Boring
- 73. JASON TORCHINSKY
- 75. SUMMER NIGHTS
- 77. IMAARTx IMA_ARTx ima_artx ArtX.IMA
- 78. ARTx MOBILE
- 79. ARTx by the Numbers ? 117 Programs ? 23,505 people in attendance ? ARTx programs worked with 454 artists ? IMA membership reached 12,628 member households at the close of fiscal year 2015, a 24% increase. ? Related to ARTx, the IMA has generated 121 unique news stories from 285 different media outlets since its launch
- 80. Provide relevant and engaging content ¨C and smarter planning
- 81. Target our audiences and meet them when they are available
- 82. Provide amenities to encourage social interaction and enhance visitor experience
- 83. Carefully balance free and paid experiences
- 84. THANK YOU Silvia Filippini-Fantoni @silviaff20 Scott Stulen @middlewest