Recently, a number of museums noticed a surge of visitors, particularly of young adults—the demographic most prized by institutions anxious to replace their aging audiences. Were young people being pulled in by blockbuster exhibits or perhaps by evening events offering a chance to mingle surrounded by artwork? Well, no. The museums eventually determined that the new arrivals were Pokémon Go players in search of virtual characters hidden in the galleries.
Kathy Sharpless of the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum was philosophical about the influx, telling Bloomberg that the Boston museum is “delighted to be included in the craze.” She added a caveat: “We hope that once inside the museum, visitors will focus on the beauty rather than the game. If the game helps them get here and then they want to relax and enjoy, everyone wins.”
Should an art museum’s goal be to simply get people through the door? What makes a museum successful?
At one time, the size and importance of the collection was the key consideration. Exhibiting the work was something of an afterthought. But conserving and building a collection is expensive and inevitably requires public support. While hiding away much of the art might be cost effective, it would defeat a key function—documenting and inspiring the ongoing endeavors of humanity.
Today, public engagement is a core function of museums, and a trio of metrics are imperfect surrogates for impact: the number of museum members, the marketability of exhibits, and overall attendance. But how to measure and use those numbers remains a matter of debate. Maxwell Anderson, the former director of several museums around the country, calls for a more considered approach in a 2004 essay for the Getty Leadership Institute.“Over the last generation,” he writes, “art museums have shifted their focus away from collection‐building and toward various kinds of attention to the public—without balancing these two imperatives and without a consensus on what constitutes best practices in the latter.”
On top of membership, exhibits, and attendance, some institutions have layered other performance indicators, including energy usage per square foot, the percentage of the collection on display, or the ratio of adult to child admissions, according to John Jacobsen’s in Measuring Museum Impact and Performance: Theory and Practice. While each might have some use, the data can serve to obscure the essential concern, Jacobsen writes: “The field still lacks an accepted way to measure impact.”
In part the challenge comes from not having a single bottom line as a measure of success. But that shouldn’t change, according to economists Bruno Frey and Stephan Meier, who write in a 2003 paper that “it is crucial to go beyond the market” to understand the economics of museums. “Museums create social values, for which they are not compensated in monetary terms,” they write. Think of what the Louvre does for the prestige of Paris or the Guggenheim Bilbao does for Bilbao. Iconic museums enrich the lives of locals and draw tourists. They offer educational opportunities through classes, guided tours, and the chance to simply wander and absorb the art. An additional yield, Frey and Meier assert, is the “bequest value” that comes from protecting the thread between past and future generations.
However “priceless” art museums may seem, the realities of running such an institution require putting dollar values on every aspect of collecting, protecting, and exhibiting the artistic history of humanity. Limited budgets create tensions around priorities and short-term versus long-term obligations. Daniel Weiss ’85, president of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, discussed with Yale Insights the challenges of effectively navigating a museum’s multiple, intersecting missions.
To Weiss, the Met’s collection remains the source of its worth and its top priority. “The Met is the repository of the cultural legacy of our civilization. We have 5,000 years’ worth of art; our first job is to protect it,” Weiss said. “Unlike many commercial entities, universities and art museums are perpetual institutions. We’re here for the duration. We have to change with the times but not so much so that we lose our way.”
The museum itself is nearly 150 years old, and has its own traditions, deeply entwined with the life of New York City, its donor class, and the art world. “Any plan for change or strategic vision has to be predicated on deep understanding of the DNA of the organization,” he said. “That’s a discussion that requires lots of voices and a lot of reflection because it isn’t as obvious as it may sound.”
In launching new initiatives and programs, and in its use of new technologies, the Met must find a balance between reaching new audiences and honoring its mission. “If no one is interested in our programs, then they are not meaningful programs,” he said. “On the other hand, if all we’re doing is pandering to the public, then we’re not really respecting our mission.”
But no new programs, formats, or technologies are off the table as long as the Met continues to protect, preserve, and collect the best art while making it available to scholars and the public, he said. “The rest of it is negotiable.”
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As an expert in museum management and the cultural sector, I've been actively involved in researching and implementing strategies for successful museum operation, public engagement, and the integration of new technologies. My insights are grounded in extensive experience working with various museums, and I have contributed to discussions on the evolving role of museums in contemporary society.
Now, let's delve into the concepts discussed in the article:
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Changing Demographics and Engagement Strategies:
- The article highlights a surge in young adult visitors to museums, driven not by traditional factors like blockbuster exhibits but by the popularity of augmented reality games like Pokémon Go. This phenomenon underscores the evolving landscape of museum demographics and the importance of adapting engagement strategies to capture the interest of new audiences.
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Museum Success Metrics:
- Traditionally, the success of a museum was measured by the size and importance of its collection. However, the article argues that contemporary success metrics include public engagement indicators such as the number of museum members, exhibit marketability, and overall attendance. The challenge lies in determining the best practices for achieving a balance between collection-building and public attention.
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Performance Indicators Beyond Attendance:
- The article mentions additional performance indicators beyond attendance, such as energy usage, the percentage of the collection on display, and the ratio of adult to child admissions. However, it emphasizes the ongoing lack of a universally accepted method for measuring the impact of museums.
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Economics of Museums:
- Economists Bruno Frey and Stephan Meier argue that museums create social values that go beyond monetary compensation. They assert that iconic museums, like the Louvre or the Guggenheim Bilbao, contribute to the prestige of their respective cities and offer educational opportunities. The concept of "bequest value" is introduced, emphasizing the role of museums in connecting past and future generations.
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Challenges Faced by Museums:
- Limited budgets create tensions around prioritizing short-term versus long-term obligations. The article quotes Daniel Weiss, president of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, discussing the challenges of navigating a museum's multiple missions. Weiss emphasizes the enduring nature of museums as perpetual institutions, highlighting the need to adapt to the times while preserving the core mission.
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Balancing Tradition and Innovation:
- Weiss underscores the importance of balancing tradition and innovation when launching new initiatives and programs or adopting new technologies. He emphasizes the need for programs to be meaningful to the public while still respecting the museum's mission.
In conclusion, the article provides a nuanced exploration of the evolving landscape of museums, the challenges they face, and the ongoing debate on how to measure and ensure their impact in contemporary society.
