Smithsonian Institution Experiments with Local Artists

Smithsonian Institution

Serving Locally Grown:
The Smithsonian American Art Museum’s
Experiment with Going Local

K. Tierney Sneeringer
9/18/2011

“Nothing is sexier than an acoustic set in a beautiful museum.” Museum Visitor

Summary
In the spring of 2010, the Smithsonian American Art Museum invited several local craft artists to
speak about their work in the museum’s Luce Foundation Center. The idea of locally-sourced
speakers inspired a two-part initiative. The first is an artist talk series that invites local artists,
whose work is not necessarily represented in the museum’s collections, to give a talk that
connects his or her work with objects on view. The second, Luce Unplugged, is an acoustic
concert series featuring local musicians, who perform in the Luce Foundation Center after a
staff-led talk on an artwork chosen by the group.

This report will examine Luce Unplugged1 through informal observations and visitor surveys
distributed during the program, and attempt to determine whether or not the program is
successful in meeting its goals of engaging local artists, attracting new audiences, increasing
accessibility of the museum’s collections, and whether it is part of larger societal trends like the
“go local” phenomenon.

Washington, D.C. and the Smithsonian Institution
According to the United States Census Bureau, the Washington, D.C. Metropolitan Area2 is
home to over five and a half million residents and is one of the top ten most populous
metropolitan areas in the country.3 The area experienced large growth between the 2000 and
2010 Census, with Washington, D.C. proper seeing the largest growth in people in their 20s and
30s.4

The city attracts millions of tourists each year. In 2009, approximately 16 million domestic and
international visitors traveled to Washington, D.C.5 The Smithsonian Institution (SI) museums
and National Zoological Park are some of the top Washington, D.C. destinations.6 More than 30
million people visited the various SI complexes in 2010.7

1
Museum staff intended to distribute surveys during the artist talks, but due to limited staff and repeat visitors who
had already completed a survey during Luce Unplugged, the surveys were not distributed. The artist talks have yet to
attract as many visitors as Luce Unplugged and museum staff is working with the partner gallery to increase
visibility of the program. Despite the low numbers, visitors appear to enjoy engaging one-on-one with the artists and
have expressed interest in future programs.
2
The Washington, D.C. Metropolitan Area is defined as Washington, D.C. proper, and parts of Virginia, West
Virginia, and Maryland.
3
Paul Mackun, and Steven Wilson. 2011. Population Distribution and Change: 2000 to 2010. United States Census
Bureau. March 2011. http://www.census.gov/prod/cen2010/briefs/c2010br-01.pdf.
4
Carol Morello, Dan Keeting, and Steve Hendrix. 2011. "Census: Young Adults Are Responsible for Most of
D.C.’s Growth in past Decade." The Washington Post, May 5, 2011. http://www.washingtonpost.com/local/census-
young-adults-are-responsible-for-most-of-dcs-growth-in-past-decade/2011/05/04/AFJz5LtF_story.html.
5
Destination DC. 2011. DC in a Box: City Factsheet. http://washington.org/planning/travel-professionals/dc-in-a-
box/city-fact-sheet
6
Ibid
7
The Smithsonian Institution. 2011. Fact Sheets: Facts about the Smithsonian Institution. February 1, 2011.
http://newsdesk.si.edu/factsheets/facts-about-smithsonian-institution.
1

The Smithsonian American Art Museum (American Art Museum) attracted over one million
visitors in 2010.8 A study by the SI Office of Policy and Analysis (OP&A) found that a third of
museum visitors lived locally.9 They also found that the average age of the museum visitor was
45. This was the fifth visitor study that OP&A conducted, and results remain fairly consistent
since the first study in the winter of 2007.10

Changing Vocabulary and Societal Trends
A growing interest in our environment, food production--particularly locally-farmed foods--
supporting local businesses, and a troubled economy have inspired a new vernacular and
influenced how people spend their time and money. Words that refer to the “go local” trend, such
as “locavore”11 and “staycation,”12 are now found in the dictionary and are widely used in
popular publications. The demand for eating locally-grown products has created an abundance of
farmers’ markets across the country,13 inspired restaurants to feature locally-sourced dishes, and
formed new food communities that focus on healthy and green eating.

Recent books on economics focus on the benefits of going local and investing in small business.
They often play with the changing vocabulary, like Locavesting: The Revolution in Local
Investing and How to Profit From It.14

The “go local” social trend has also hit the arts. Recently, the National Endowment for the Arts
and the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation launched the Community Arts Journalism
Challenge. The challenge aims to cover local arts initiatives and better engage different
communities across the United States, and it “seeks to rethink how traditional media systems
function, harnessing the latest tools and technology to make the transition to the new information
environment.”15

Similarly, the District of Columbia Government has created new programs to support local artists
and entrepreneurs. The Office of Planning’s Temporary Urbanism Initiative awards grants to

8
The Smithsonian Institution. Fact Sheets: Smithsonian American Art Museum. February 1, 2011.
http://newsdesk.si.edu/factsheets/smithsonian-american-art-museum.
9
Smithsonian Institution. 2010. Donald W. Reynolds Center Visitor Survey: Study Highlights and Frequency
Distributions, Spring 2010. Office of Policy and Analysis.
http://www.si.edu/opanda/docs/Rpts2010/DWRCspring2010.100825.pdf
10
Ibid
11
Locavore is defined as “one who eats foods grown locally whenever possible.” “Locavore.” 2011. In Merriam-
Webster.com. http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/locavore.
12
Staycation is defined as: “a vacation spent at home or nearby.” “Staycation.” 2011. In Merriam-Webster.com.
http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/staycation.
13
The New York Times reported that “Nationwide, the number of farmers’ markets has jumped to 7,175 as of Aug.
5; of those, 1,043 were established this year, according to the federal Agriculture Department. In 2005, there were
4,093 markets across the country.” Katie Zezima. 2011. “As Farmers’ Markets Go Mainstream, Some Fear a Glut.”
New York Times, August 20, 2011,
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/08/21/us/21farmers.html?_r=1&scp=1&sq=farmers%20market&st=cse
14
Amy Cortese. 2011. Locavesting: The Revolution in Local Investing and How to Profit From It. Canada: John
Wiley & Sons, Inc.
15
National Endowment for the Arts. 2011. “National Initiatives: NEA Arts Journalism Initiatives.”
http://www.nea.gov/national/aji/index.html
2

transform abandoned storefronts into temporary retail spaces, or Temporiums.16 The government
awarded grants for Temporiums in three neighborhoods: H Street, Mt. Pleasant, and Shaw. The
spaces attracted thousands of visitors and created thousands of dollars in revenue while
supporting local entrepreneurs and exposing visitors to D.C.’s art community.17

Museums around the country are creating new, innovative programs that foster communities,
both in the museum and online, with the hopes of engaging new and local audiences.18 The
Denver Art Museum hosts the online community, The Collective, which creates a space for
people to discuss and share their own artwork, while connecting it to activities related to the
museum’s collections and exhibitions. As part of The Collective, the museum presents ongoing
programs in the museum, such as Demo & Do, which invites local artists to do demonstrations
inside the museum or on museum grounds.19

In February 2010, Museum of Modern Art’s P.S. 1 launched Studio Visit, a website where artists
can upload images from their studio.20 The website accepts submissions from New York-based
artists with the intention of giving artists a space to share their art and workspaces, while
simultaneously creating a pool for future exhibitions and research. According to its website,
“Studio Visit will serve as an online artistic hub and provide viewers a look at the varied artistic
practices located within one city.”21 Visitors to the website are able to view where the studios are
located on an interactive Google Map, see curators’ picks, and learn more about the artists
through artist statements and biographies. Artists’ work is featured on the page for at least one
month.

Going Local at the Smithsonian American Art Museum
The Luce Foundation Center, the visible storage area for the American Art Museum, offers a
tour and coffee program, Art+Coffee, five days a week (Wednesdays through Sundays). The
program started in March of 2008 after the museum’s café, once located in the Luce Foundation
Center, moved to another part of the museum on the other side of the building. As a result, Luce
Center’s attendance decreased to a quarter of what it had once been. The Luce Center created
Art+Coffee to attract more visitors, and has been successful. From March 2008 to July 2011,
56,044 coffee, tea, and hot chocolate drinkers have participated, and 4,030 visitors have attended
the tour portion. A diverse range of visitors participate in Art+Coffee. Luce Center staff has
observed that many participants are tourists visiting the city. Local visitors on tours often remark

16
The District of Columbia. “Temporary Urbanism Initiative.” Office of Planning.
http://planning.dc.gov/DC/Planning/Across+the+City/Other+Citywide+Initiatives/Temporary+Urbanism+Initiative
17
Danielle Douglas. 2011. “Pop-up retail gains favor in D.C. with Garment District, Mount Pleasant Temporium.”
The Washington Post, March 6, 2011. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-
dyn/content/article/2011/03/06/AR2011030602666.html.
18
Harvey, Ruth. 2011. “Making it Meaningful: Engaging Youth and Young Adults in Cultural Institutions.”
Winston Churchill Memorial Fellow.
19
The Denver Art Museum. 2010-2011. “The Collective: Demo and Do.”
http://collective.denverartmuseum.org/category/demo-do.
20
P.S.1 Contemporary Art Center. 2010 “P.S.1’S Studio Visit Website Presents Artists’ Submissions
Launches February 1, 2010.” Museum of Modern Art Affiliate. January 29, 2010.
http://press.moma.org/images/press/ps1_studio/PS1_StudioVisit.pdf
21
P.S.1 Contemporary Art Center. 2011. “P.S. 1 Studio Visit.” Museum of Modern Art Affiliate.
http://ps1.org/studio-visit/.
3

that they had never been to the Luce Center, despite having been to the museum previously.22 In
2010, OP&A found that less than 15 percent of museum visitors listed visiting the Luce
Foundation Center when asked which parts of the museum they had seen.23

In 2010, the American Art Museum invited local craft artists with works on view in the Luce
Foundation Center to talk about their pieces and processes during Art+Coffee after noticing
many visitors asked questions about how the objects were made. Through these talks, the
museum saw an opportunity to develop ways to engage the city’s artists and residents. An
informal partnership was created with Flashpoint Gallery, a nonprofit art gallery located near the
museum. The museum also started an acoustic concert series, Luce Unplugged. These two
programs invite local artists, whose work is not necessarily represented in the museum’s
collections, and musicians to share their work with visitors and to connect it to pieces on view in
the Luce Center.

Both initiatives have garnered attention on third-party websites and local papers with little
formal marketing. Museum staff has observed repeat visitors to the programs and people staying
after the program to talk with each other as well as with the presenting artists or musicians.

The Luce Center implemented surveys during Luce Unplugged (starting in May 2011), and
Art+Coffee programs (for three weeks over the summer)24 in order to determine whether or not
the new programs were attracting more local residents.

Survey Results
Typical American Art Visitor profile per OP&A: Most likely a tourist, around 45 years-old, from
the Eastern seaboard, visiting the museum for the first time; well educated.25

Art+Coffee Visitor Profile: Most likely a tourist, 40 years old or older, visiting the museum for
the first time; had never heard of Art+Coffee and stumbled upon it; would return to the Luce
Center based on their experience.

Luce Unplugged Visitor Profile: Local visitor who has been to the museum before, but not
necessarily to the Luce Center; between the ages of 18-34; had heard of Luce Unplugged, most
likely through a friend; came to hear the music, although it was not the only reason they came;
would return to the Luce Center.

22
Luce Center staff records every question asked and has done so since opening in July 2006. Documenting
questions help staff members identify trends, address visitor needs, and record an informal count of visitors to the
space.
23
24
Luce Unplugged surveys were distributed during three programs: May 15, June 5, and July 31. Art+Coffee
surveys were collected over three weeks, from July 20 to August 7, 2011.
25
4

Is this your first time to the Smithsonian American Art Museum?
Sixty-one percent of Art+Coffee visitors said it was their first time to the museum. This is
slightly higher than the results from OP&A’s 2010 study when they found that a little more than
half (55 percent) of the visitors were coming to the museum for the first time.26

Twenty one percent of Luce Unplugged visitors said it was their first time to the museum.

Is this your first time to the Luce Foundation Center?
Over half of the visitors to both programs had never been to the Luce Foundation Center prior to
completing the survey. More Luce Unplugged participants, however, had visited the Luce Center
and were more aware of it compared to Art+Coffee visitors.
What is the Luce
Center?
16%

No
17% Yes Art+Coffee:
67%
Is this your first time
to the Luce Foundation Center?

Chart 1. Previous Luce Foundation Center Visits, Art+Coffee Participants

What is the Luce
Center?
4%

No
32% Luce Unplugged:
Yes Is this your first time
64%
to the Luce Foundation Center?

Chart 2. Previous Luce Foundation Center Visits, Luce Unplugged Participants

26
Ibid
5

Have you ever attended another Luce Center program?
Most visitors had not attended other Luce Center programs. Only four percent of Art+Coffee and
nine percent of Luce Unplugged27 participants had previously attended another program. People
who had attended other programs listed Art Coffee (two people), scavenger hunts (two),28 Ghosts
of a Chance (one),29 Draw & Discover (one),30 other tours (two), and various other museum
related exhibits and activities (four). (See Appendix III for list of answers.)

How did you hear about today’s program?
Slightly more than half of the Art+Coffee visitors said that they had never heard of the program
before attending. Nineteen percent heard about the program from friends, and 16 percent listed
“other” as to why they came. Answers varied for the “other” category, with comments like “such
a lovely program brings out the best in its visitors.” (See Appendix IIIa for more answers.)

Fifty-five percent of Luce Unplugged participants learned about the program through a friend,
with “other” listed as the next most common way they found out about the program (59 percent
of those responses mentioned some sort of personal connection to the band). (See Appendix IIIb
for more answers.)

Social media, particularly Facebook, was used by most musicians to advertise their
performances. The programs were also featured on local blogs’ Facebook pages. Interestingly,
no June survey respondent listed an advertisement the museum ran with Brightest Young Things,
an online and events production agency located in Washington, D.C. They did, however, list the
newspaper when the event was featured in The Washington Post’s “Going Out Guide” (both May
and July).

27
This question was added after the first round of surveys was collected in May, and was included in the surveys
administered on June 5 and July 31.
28
The Luce Center offers themed scavenger hunts of the collection, seven days a week. Over 17,000 people have
taken a scavenger hunt since November 2006.
29
The American Art Museum was the first museum in the world to host an alternate reality game, Ghosts of a
Chance, which offered a new way of engaging with its collection by integrating the use of mobile and fixed Web
platforms with traditional media and experiences in the galleries. The museum offered the game from October 2008
to October 2010.
30
Draw & Discover is a weekly drop-in sketching program held in the Luce Foundation Center.
6

Image 1. June’s installment of Luce Unplugged, featuring Lightfoot, was posted on local music blog DC Setlist’s
Facebook page.

Image 2. One performer went rogue and advertised his performance around the city without prior approval from the
museum.

Why did you attend today’s program?
Two hundred and sixteen Art+Coffee participants answered this question, some providing more
than one reason for attendance (270 responses). Almost half (42 percent) said that they stumbled
upon the program, followed by “to learn something new” (24 percent).

7

Other
For the free 6%
coffee/tea
11%
To learn
something

To spend time with
new Art+Coffee:
24%
friends/family Why did you attend
16%
I stumbled upon it today's program?
43%

Chart 3. Art+Coffee participants and their reasons for attending the program

The Luce Unplugged survey differed slightly for this question, as it asked about the respondent’s
familiarity with the band along with other program-specific responses. Most people listed “to
hear the music” as to why they attended Luce Unplugged.

I am familiar Other To learn something
with this band 2% new
13% 9%
To spend time with
friends/family Luce Unplugged:
10%
To hear the
Why did you attend
music today's program?
41%
To support local
artists/musicians
19% I stumbled upon it
6%
Chart 4. Luce Unplugged participants’ responses to the question, “Why did you attend today’s program?”

While listening to the music was the most listed response, it was not the only reason why people
attended. Visitors often listed several reasons, and other responses, like supporting local
musicians and spending time with friends and family, were often checked when participants
listed multiple reasons for their visit.

8

Combination Responses when Listing "To Hear Music" (THM)
0 5 10 15 20

To hear the music (sole response)
To Learn Something New (with THM)
I stumbled upon it (with THM)
To support local artists/musicians (with THM)
To spend time with friends/family  (with THM)
I am familiar with this band  (with THM)
Other  (with THM)

Chart 5. “To hear the music” response from Luce Unplugged surveys broken down by answer combinations and
number of responses. People often listed multiple reasons for their visit, listening to music was one of the most listed
in combinations.

It should be noted that while surveys were available throughout Luce Unplugged performances,
most surveys were completed afterward and did not capture wandering visitors, who might have
stumbled upon the program (like with Art+Coffee).

Will you attend another Luce Center program based on your experience today?
The overwhelming majority of respondents said that they would attend Art+Coffee and Luce
Unplugged again. Eighty-four percent of Art+Coffee participants would come back, and the
majority of the 16 percent that said “no” said that it was because they were not from the area.
(See Appendix Va for responses as to why or why not participants would attend again.)

Every Luce Unplugged survey participant said that they would attend the program again based
on their experience. People often remarked that they liked the music, the setting was beautiful,
they thought it was a good family-friendly event, or they appreciated the Smithsonian’s attempt
to connect with young people: “great space, effort to bring young people to Smithsonian.” (See
Appendix Vb for responses.)

What is your age?
Similar to the OP&A survey results, Art+Coffee participants tend to be older in age.

9

0‐18
6%

50+
28% 18‐25
21% Art+Coffee:
Program Participants by Age
25‐35
40‐50
18%
20%

35‐40
7%
Chart 5. Art+Coffee program participants broken down by percentages per age group

Luce Unplugged participants were generally younger than Art+Coffee participants. The largest
group of participants was between the ages of 25 and 35. They were also younger than the
average visitor (45 years-old) found during OP&A’s 2010 survey.

0‐18
0%

50+
22% 18‐25
29%
40‐50 Luce Unplugged:
6%
35‐40
Program Participants by Age
5% 25‐35
38%

Chart 6. Luce Unplugged participant ages broken down into percentages per group

10

Comparison: Age of Program Participants
0 20 40 60 80 100

0‐18

18‐25 Art+Coffee
25‐35 Luce Unplugged

35‐40

40‐50

50+

Chart 7. Comparison of Art+Coffee and Luce Unplugged program participant ages broken down into age groups and
percentage of participants per group

What is your zip code/country of origin?
Thirty-nine percent of Art+Coffee participants lived in the Washington, D.C. Metropolitan Area.
This is slightly higher than the percentage of local visitors found during OP&A’s 2010 survey.
The number of local Art+Coffee visitors increased to 50 percent of total visitors over the
weekends (July 23-24, July 30, and August 6-7). Program participants were from across the
United States, mostly the Eastern seaboard, and hailed from several countries around the world.

Image 3. Google World Map of the different area codes and countries listed on Art+Coffee surveys

11

Ninety-six percent of Luce Unplugged survey participants lived locally and only two people
listed areas outside of the Washington, D.C. Metropolitan area—Minneapolis, Minnesota, and
Greencastle, Pennsylvania.

Image 4. Google Map of the United States showing the zip codes listed on Luce Unplugged surveys. No
international country of origin was listed on the surveys collected.

Image 5. Washington, D.C. Metropolitan Area Google Map of zip codes listed on Luce Unplugged surveys

12

Initial Conclusions
 Luce Unplugged is attracting more local visitors
 Luce Unplugged is increasing the museum’s visibility amongst local visitors
 Luce Unplugged is attracting more visitors specifically to the Luce Foundation Center
 Luce Unplugged is attracting younger visitors
 Word of mouth and social media are the way most people find out about Luce Unplugged
 Enjoyment and satisfaction are high for both programs
 Art+Coffee creates a favorable impression of the museum despite lack of previous
knowledge of the program

The current “go local” trend is becoming more ubiquitous, and it is not surprising that Luce
Unplugged is attracting more local visitors as it features musicians from the Washington, D.C.
Metropolitan Area. It should be noted that the music itself might also be a major draw for
visitors. Though the program attracts visitors of all ages, Luce Unplugged attracts more 18-to-35-
year-olds and the majority of this survey group is commonly referred to as millennials. Born
after 1980, the Pew Research Center describes this generation as “confident, self-expressive,
liberal, upbeat and open to change.”31 In the same study, they found that millennials listed their
use of technology, along with music and pop culture, as the main characteristics that set them
apart from other generations.32 Music is a large part of millennials’ lives, evident by the fact that
74 percent of adults younger than 34 own portable music devices.33 It is not surprising then that
many people listed the music as one of the reasons they came to the program. Most of the
performers have also been of this generation, advertising their performances on Facebook, and
attracting their peers to the program.

Looking at the interests of the millennials could also explain why more people have attended
Luce Unplugged, and why it has been featured on more third-party websites, than the artist talk
series, which was created with the same goals. While the artist talk series has yet to attract as
many visitors, it nevertheless is engaging the city’s artists as evidenced by email blasts,
enthusiastic Facebook posts, and future collaborations with the museum.

31
The Pew Research Center. 2010. “Millenials: A Portrait of Generation Next.” February 2010.
http://pewsocialtrends.org/files/2010/10/millennials-confident-connected-open-to-change.pdf.
32
Ibid
33
Kathryn Zickuhr. 2011. “Generations and Gadgets.” Pew Internet & American Life Project, February 3, 2011.
http://pewresearch.org/pubs/1879/gadgets-generations-cell-phones-laptops-desktop-comupter.
13

Appendix I. Art+Coffee Survey Results

Is this your Is this your Have you How did Why did you Will you What is What is
first time to first time ever you hear attend attend your age? your zip
the to the Luce attended about today’s another code/
Smithsonian Foundation another today’s program? Luce country of
American Center? Luce program? Center origin?
Art Center program
Museum? program? based on
your
experience
today?
Yes:143 Yes: 153 Yes: 10 Friend: 43 To learn Yes: 144 0-18: 12 89 local
something
new: 64

61% 67% 4% 19% 24% 84% 6% 39%

No: 91 No: 40 No: 220 Program I stumbled No: 27 18-25: 46
Mailing: 4 upon it: 117

39% 17% 96% 2% 43% 16% 21%

What is the I had never To spend time 25-35: 40
Luce heard of with
Center?: 36 it!: 128 friends/family:
42

16% 56% 16% 18%
Internet: For the free 35-40: 16
12 coffee/tea: 30

5% 11% 7%

American Other: 17 40-50: 43
Art
Website: 5

2% 6% 20%
Other: 37 50+: 61

16% 28%

234 people 229 people 230 people 219 people 216 people 171 people 218 people 226 people
answered answered answered answered, answered, 270 answered answered answered
228 answers
answers

14

Appendix II. Luce Unplugged Survey Results

Is this your Is this your Have you How did Why did you Will you What is What is
first time to first time ever you hear attend today’s attend your age? your zip
the to the Luce attended about program? another code/
Smithsonian Foundation another today’s Luce country
American Center? Luce program? Center of origin?
Art Center program
Museum? program? based on
your
experience
today?
Yes: 14 Yes: 42 Yes: 4* Friend: 41 To learn Yes: 67 0-18: 0 64 local
something new:
11

21% 64% 9% 55% 9% 100% 0% 96%

No: 53 No: 21 No: 42* Program To hear the No: 0 18-25: 19
Mailing: music: 50

79% 32% 91% 0% 41% 29%

What is the I had I stumbled upon 25-35: 25
Luce never it: 7
Center? 3 heard of
it!: 6
38%
4% 8% 6%
Internet: 9 To support local 35-40: 3
artists/musicians:
23

12% 19% 5%

American To spend time 40-50: 4
Art with
Website: 1 friends/family:
12

1% 10% 6%

Other: 17 I am familiar 50+: 14
with this band:
16

23% 13% 22%
Other: 3
2%
67 people 66 people 46 people 67 people 67 people 67 people 65 67 people
answered answered answered answered, answered, answered answered answered
*This 74 122 answers
question was
added after
answers
the first
round of
surveys 15

Appendix III. Other programs visitors listed as previously attended

Art+Coffee

 Just arrived, did not know about a program. Came to see Calder exhibit.
 Sketching
 I would like to though
 Art+Coffee
 American Art Museum
 Watching "staff" work on painting
 Children's scavenger hunt (did worksheet with daughter)
 Scavenger hunt
 Art exhibit
 Art+Coffee

Luce Unplugged
 Luce Center object talks-in HDA program
 Docent tour
 Ghosts of a Chance

16

Appendix IV. What visitors listed as “other” for the question How did you hear about today’s
program?

Art+Coffee

 To see Center & Programs
 I love quiet, beautiful, courteous + generous [illegible]
 to relax
 Such a lovely program brings out the best in its visitors.
 recommendation of daughter
 wandered into hall
 To drink coffee
 To work
 Mom loves art + paints
 Tour guide introduced it
 B/c I was fascinated w/ art in vending machine and couldn't stop thinking about it!
 Love it
 To see Romaine Brooks work
 Part of class
 Part of workshop

Luce Unplugged

 Newspaper
 Newspaper
 Stripmall ballads listserv
 Smithsonian.org
 Lightfoot
 Lightfoot site
 The band (Lightfoot) promoted it
 Knew musician playing
 friend in Lightfoot
 Lightfoot facebook
 facebook (friends w/ Jess from the band)
 Lightfoot
 Directory on First Floor
 Sign in museum
 Sign in lobby
 Band Cephalopods
 Washington Post

17

Appendix V. Reasons why visitor would/would not return

Appendix Va. Art+Coffee

Overall Experience/Program
 to relax and watch the movies
 enjoy seeing new things
 It's a good idea
 Because I learned about art
 B/c we are interested in the art
 I loved it, could check out art
 Beautiful space and Art. Well done
 hot docent
 Interesting
 Thoughtful, informative, interesting
 What a creative collections and so much more to learn
 It's a good way to spend my time
 Such a lovely program brings out the best in its visitors
 Nice presentation
 Because they are so amazing!!
 Experience
 It's impressive all the things behind art
 Because it was a good experience
 It is an exceptional experience.
 Free coffee/tea/hot chocolate
 Its calm + peaceful, + for coffee
 Mind expanding!
 Interesting exhibition
 The space is beautiful. There should be some description downstairs to lure people upstairs.
 Very interesting looking.
 It's very educational and diverse in genres.
 Very positive
 Very interesting.
 I live to learn.
 It is extremely regarding, beautiful and educational
 Why not!
 Like having a tour w/o the guide
 It's interesting to go a bit deeper; SAAM/NPG is my fave Smithsonian Museum!
 The emphasis of art
 Very informative
 Fun
 Beautiful and friendly
 be calm to see the art objects, discuss what we saw in the gallery
 Helpful ppl, nice atmosphere
 This place is amazing! A great resource for educators
 love this space so would enjoy hanging out + learning
 very pleasant
 Very interesting and educational--I'm a teacher
 Why not!
18

 I would need to learn more, but this was great.
 Relaxing, interesting
 Enjoyable atmosphere

Not sure
 If I am back in DC yes
 If in area again, very informative
 I'm not sure
 Depends on timing
 Not sure yet; need to see the rest of it first…stay tuned
 If I'm again in the area
 Not sure
 If we were here visiting again as we are now
 If I have the opportunity
 Maybe
 Maybe

Not from here
 I'm not from America
 Not in area
 I don't live here
 We don't live here
 Not from here
 From out of town
 Due to other pre-arrangements
 I don't live in DC.
 I live out of town

Miscellaneous
 I enjoyed the free audio tour
 Was pleasantly surprised to discover more than portraits. The name of the museum does not
reveal the expansive collection here, but I am thrilled to discover it and will come back.
 It was extremely interesting to see the conservation workshop/studio
 Looking fwd to the kids dressing up as art!
 I don't understand what the program is

19

Appendix Vb. Luce Unplugged

Overall Experience/Program
 Very enjoyable to hear music in this setting
 Nice to have a musical event for the whole family to enjoy
 Future family-friendly events
 It was pleasant
 It was very entertaining
 Good music, bad art
 Enjoyment/great Sunday out
 Space is great + someone has good taste to choose Stripmall Ballads so I would trust 'em again!
 Yes, I thought the event was very well-coordinated and enjoyable!
 It was an opportunity to let my mind wander while listening to music
 Great way to spend a Sunday-afternoon
 Good concept
 Great idea! Love connecting art with music
 Great music in beautiful surroundings
 Great place for acoustic music
 why not
 beautiful space
 lovely music + space
 supporting arts also local music
 music was great
 excellent event
 Lightfoot is amazing and this space is beautiful!
 beautiful location, good acoustics
 It's a great way to get fans of one art form to consider other art forms
 great space, effort to bring young people to Smithsonian
 Great music
 I love finding new art items + enjoy listening to music
 great music and idea
 great atmosphere
 great acoustics
 My favorite room in DC
 very nice venue (+ coffee!)
 Music is great
 Great venue for family
 I thought it was excellent. The music was perfectly chosen to reflect Mural No. GU-43752
Blayney.
 Very nice vibe!

Not sure
 If I hear about it

Not from here
 If I lived here!

20

Appendix VI. Additional Comments

Appendix VIa. Art+Coffee

Praise
 Wonderful collection.
 Loved the entire museum
 What a nice exchange--your tea for my cooperation.
 Great place.
 I really enjoyed your touch screens that gave information about the artwork. The coffee was a
wonderful surprise! We've very much enjoyed our visit.
 This was a very interesting experience and I learned some new things.
 As a non-American, I am simply overwhelmed by the entire Smithsonian Experience. I can only
hope that as your country stumbles into economic ruin that you will somehow be able to save this
wonderful institution. God bless ya all!
 Loved the contemporary art. Ya'll have a great selection!
 The place is immaculate! It is very nicely decorated and I love the feel of it. Also, the coffee
should be a bit less hot next time. I almost burned myself. Thanks!
 Love the museum--had no idea of the research arm available.
 I like the museum.
 We stumbled across the Center and loved it! A fascinating overview of American artifact,
beautifully displayed in such a way to allow us to "take it all in." Great atmosphere and a warm
welcome + unexpected cup of tea! Thank you!

Appreciation
 Thank you so much for the coffee. I was just about dead
 Thank you!
 Thank you!
 Thank you for the Art+Coffee program
 Thank you for the free tea. I hope that you all have a pleasant day.
 Thanks for the coffee!

Program Suggestions
 Coffee too hot, tough to put lid on. Need hot dogs
 Better and more coffee selection. Build a Starbucks, but keep it free. Also, bagels and pastries are
pretty artsy. And cut some of the fat around here. Fire all the fat people.
 Better directions to the meeting place.
 I feel that you should give more options of tea and coffee. Because that would be great! Thanks.
P.S-you should add cold coffee/ice-cubes.
 I really don't like tea or coffee and would like to have hot chocolate as an option. The sculptures
were mostly good.
 Wish you had an herbal tea choice!
 Have other beverages like juice, cold water or soda. I don't drink coffee but my husband does.
Thanks!
 Please provide liquid creamer

Miscellaneous
 I love contemporary art, please get more!
 Photography exhibit would be wonderful.
21

 Tables full of obvious street folks filling water bottles + talking loudly so I couldn't hear the
video=only watch + read.
 Daughter (8) was a bit disappointed by the little reward (button) for the scavenger hunt.
 Why nothing on chemistry and physics? Booker T Washington, Benjamin Franklin (co-invented
"Colombo's" law) Rowland, and the American who co-invented Ampere's law (can't recall name)
 Would love to see more Brooks works
 What was the program?
 Be happy

22

Appendix VI b. Luce Unplugged

Praise
 Music was excellent! Enjoyed tour of art. Very enjoyable, stimulating afternoon
 Great Great--didn't catch the art talk unfortunately…either started early or didn't corral folks.
 Really wonderful event. Thank you!
 great music!
 Talk had me considering painting scenes from Revelation myself (as If I don't have enough to
do!) Music was a joy. Very pure.

Program Suggestions
 Iced coffee--probably difficult to do though
 As a program billed as Art+Coffee (which is great), PLEASE serve better coffee!! Maybe a
partnership with a local coffee shop (or multiple) so many great independent coffee shops in DC
who might like to partner, but the coffee as stands is awful. Suggestions: SOVA, Qualia,
Peregrin, etc etc
 Need a mike
 Museum or Luce Center staff could announce the curated talk so everyone knows it is happening
upstairs--very few people saw the visual art side of this event. Also making the connection
between the painting and the musical artist. (did the musicians choose which piece would be
discussed) Intro the band.
 real decaf coffee

Miscellaneous
 Interpretive talk about the artwork was embarrassingly terrible. She had never heard of
Revelation! Take the art downstairs so everyone can see it!

23

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