Community Experiences with the Inside|Out Program from the Detroit Institute of Arts
Client: Detroit Institute of Arts | Location: Detroit, MI | Funding: Knight Foundation
We evaluated the impact of The Detroit Institute of Arts’ Inside|Out, a program that brings high-quality reproductions of artworks from the museum’s collection to outdoor venues throughout Metro Detroit.
OVERVIEW
In 2017, the Detroit Institute of Arts (DIA) contracted us to evaluate its program Inside|Out. Through the program, the DIA partnered with more than 100 communities to bring high-quality reproductions of artwork from the museum’s collection to local Detroit buildings and sites.
Our evaluation was important in helping the DIA understand how Inside|Out could encourage connections and effectively create a sense of place in Metro Detroit communities through experiences with art.
Collaborating closely with the DIA, we designed an evaluation that sought to gauge the impact of Inside|Out on communities, identify best practices from Inside|Out, and identify how Inside|Out could help support the DIA’s strategic plan.
APPROACH
We gathered insights from DIA staff members, community partners who hosted Inside|Out, and community members through a variety of methods:
Open-ended, in-depth interviews with six DIA staff members and 24 community partners
Online questionnaires to more than 80 community partners
In-person questionnaires for almost 800 community members
Case studies in four active Inside|Out host communities, which included unobtrusive observations of one reproduction and on-site interviews with community members
CLIENT TAKEAWAYS
We found that Inside|Out contributes to communities’ pride and identity as a place that cares about and values art. Moreover, not only does Inside|Out make residents feel good about their community, but the program also created a mutually beneficial relationship between the museum and its surrounding communities, helping communicate DIA’s efforts to bring art into local sites.
