MONTHLY MUSEUM POLL RECAP
October 2010: What one word would you use to describe your quintessential museum visit?
On November 8th, CAM and several partners are hosting a symposium to explore audience experience. What motivates people to visit a museum? How do they interact (or do they)? What impact does the visit have? With these questions in mind, CAM wanted to challenge you to come up with one word to describe your quintessential museum visit.
Educastic! Wow! Energizing! Enlightening! Adventurous! These are some of the words used in our monthly museum poll responses. One respondent writes, “When I visit a museum I like to feel like I'm on a mini trip to another place/culture - a mini adventure!” David Burton of the Autry National Center says, “A good museum experience energizes my mind and spirit. While I may be physically tired from walking through and standing in galleries for an hour or two, a terrific museum visit will leave me uplifted, stimulated, curious to explore topics in even greater detail, and eager to share my experience with others. It makes me feel more alive!”
Here are all of the responses from this month's poll:
Edutastic!
Stimulated
“The visit includes: new information, education, personal interaction, visual excitement, impressive presentations, new approaches, artistic displays” – Anonymous
Transcendent
Energizing
Intrigue
Transformative
Art
“If there is eye candy, I will show up.” – Anonymous
Enlivening
“The museum as a whole, (from the building itself, to the staff, the exhibits and programs, the artwork, services, etc.) emanates an aura that is stimulating, inspiring and breathtaking, yet at the same time is comfortable and welcoming.” – Anonymous
Enlightening
Adventurous!
“When I visit a museum I like to feel like I'm on a mini trip to another place/culture - a mini adventure!” – Anonymous
Stimulating!
“It has been a good museum visit when I want to find out more about what I learned in the museum.” – Anonymous
Learning
“The best museum experience for me is when I learn something I did not expect to learn, something that opens up new paths of thought for me.” – Anonymous
Reflective
“The perfect museum visit is one in which I have the leisure to reflect upon history, society, and the individual's (my) role within it.” – Anonymous
Goosebumps
“I want to experience things in a new and different way, and be viscerally impacted by the materials on display.” – Anonymous
Invigorating
“Learned something, became excited about what I experienced and learned and had it make a personal and emotional impact” - Diane Wondolowski, CFO, Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History
WOW!
“More than anticipated. Stunning. Engaging. Impressed.” - Brian Weber, Agriculture Museum Director, Museum of Ventura County
Inspiring
“I am an artist in the plein air genre; when I saw the Chagall exhibition at the De Young in San Francisco, I was awed the actual paintings that I have enjoyed in print from books and inspired by the artist brushwork and colors that one can only witness by being in a museum; their was a tape by his granddaughter that made the experience all the more touching and personal.” - Joy Gee, MatrixArts Sacramento
Invigorating
“A good museum experience energizes my mind and spirit. While I may be physically tired from walking through and standing in galleries for an hour or two, a terrific museum visit will leave me uplifted, stimulated, curious to explore topics in even greater detail, and eager to share my experience with others. It makes me feel more alive!” - David Burton, Autry National Center
Inspiring
“A visit that stuck with me, made me think, challenged me, and stunned me with the power of humanity.” - William J. Trinkle, Ex. Dir., The Bear Flag Museum
Illuminating
“I am made aware and begin to appreciate a cultural or natural asset that is almost entirely new to me.” - James Bryant, Curator of Natural History, City of Riverside
Enlightening
“I leave feeling that I learned something new or understand something more deeply than I ever had before.” - Dana Neitzel, Curator, San Mateo County Historical Association
Inspiring
“As an individual (not as a museum professional) I go to see art and craft that is beautiful and unusual -- craft that inspires me and gives me new ideas on how to make things. As a museum professional, I am inspired (well, actually more delighted) when I see lots of other visitors truly engaging with one another, with museum staff, and with museum exhibits and programs.” - Margaret Kadoyama, Principal, Margret Kadoyama Consulting
Enveloping
“Instead of doing the usual museum walk-and-view-and-read, I love exhibits where my other senses are engaged: smell, touch, soft music; where there are questions posed that I can wonder about as I move through the exhibit. Audio tours are good but become an encumbrance when the exhibit is crowded.” - Mary E. Martin, Executive Assistant, History San Jose
Education
“I expect to learn something new about a subject in which I am interested. That's why I would choose that particular museum” - Ruth Abel, board member. Leonis Adobe Museum
Caillebotte
“A whole exhibit of Gustave Caillebotte's work would be non-stop joy.” Richard K. Moore, InfoSherpa
can't-stop-talking-about-it
“I want to be engaged to the point where I want to share my experience with EVERYONE - those interested in museums and those who don't typically find themselves in museums. It should appeal to a wide range of people, be fun, and above all MEMORABLE.” - Jennifer, CSUS MA Student
don't-miss
“Word of mouth motivates people to visit museums, and when a friend or colleague says "Don't miss it," you are more likely to go. When an exhibit knocks me out, I recommend it at every opportunity.”- Alice Parman, Interpretive Planner
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