Exploratory Evaluation to Support the Reinstallation of the Smithsonian American Art Museum’s Permanent Collection

Nov 4

Client: Smithsonian American Art Museum | Location: Washington, DC

We conducted exploratory evaluation to help the Smithsonian American Art Museum design a people-informed gallery space and interpretation of the permanent collection.

OVERVIEW

From 2019-2021, we partnered with the Smithsonian American Art Museum (SAAM) to conduct two exploratory evaluations that would inform their impending reinterpretation and reinstallation of the permanent collections of American art at the museum.

APPROACH

We conducted two evaluations:

An observational study of how visitors experience the current second floor permanent collections
An interview study exploring how SAAM members and the general public (potential SAAM visitor) reacted to thematic groupings of American art from the permanent collection

Each evaluation was followed by structured, reflective discussions among Kera and SAAM staff.

CLIENT TAKEAWAYS

As SAAM suspected, visitors see only a small portion of the second-floor permanent collection during their visit. In the reinstallation, SAAM and their design consultants are considering how to slow visitors down to appreciate more of the galleries.

SAAM found the thematic approach they are experimenting with for the permanent collection is headed in the right direction. The general public was interested in how the themes selected highlight the diversity of the American experience.

In reflections, SAAM staff identified a need to manage visitor expectations for a visit to SAAM. In particular, they want to identify upfront the limitations of their collections in being able to speak to the diversity of the American experience. SAAM also set goals to continue to collect feedback through development and set specific metrics for measuring success in the future.