1. Creative
Attention:
Art and
Community
Restoration
Western Museums
Association Annual Meeting
Sunday, October 9, 2022

2. Session Goals
• Learn about one example of how a museum created an initiative
around healing and resilience.
• Consider ways to incorporate wellness programs and art therapy into
a museum context.
• Leave refreshed and engaged after meditation and making art!

3. About the Palo Alto Art Center

5. Our funders

6. Weekly Free
Virtual
Meditation
Sessions

8. Creative Attention Intended Results
• Participants will recognize the power of art as a force for healing, expression, and
community building.
• Regional artists will have the opportunity to create new artwork and display
current work in response to the theme of healing.
• The community will engage and dialogue with the Art Center via the exhibition,
free public programs, teen programs, and school tours that will incorporate art
therapy techniques, mindfulness meditation, and other resiliency strategies.
• The Art Center will be viewed as a community resource for its ability to
successfully link the arts with pertinent and accessible emotional health and
wellness tools and techniques.
• Community members will have numerous opportunities to explore their
emotional and psychological response to pressing local, regional, and global
challenges through structured art therapy workshops.

9. The Art of Disability Culture Exhibition

10. The Art of Disability Culture Exhibition

11. The Art of Disability Culture Exhibition

12. The Art of Disability Culture Exhibition

13. The Art of Disability Culture Exhibition

14. The Art of Disability Culture Exhibition

16. The Art of Disability Culture Exhibition

22. Project Results
and Findings

23. 11
Evaluation Questions
❶ To what extent does the exhibition and related wellness programming
encourage participants to see art as a force for healing, expression, and
community building?
❷ To what extent does the exhibition & programming inspire visitors to see the
Art Center as a resource to support their emotional health and wellness?
❸ Beyond direct participation in the exhibition & programming, does the
experience inspire participants to continue to engage with art as a wellness
tool?

24. 11
Methods
Post Exhibit/Program Surveys (online and paper, n=297)
• Exhibition (n=88)
• Art Therapy Workshops (n=134)
• Virtual Wellness Programs (n=42)
• Public Programs (opening event, artist talk, n=17
• Artist Residency Workshops (n=16)
Follow-up Survey (online, n=101)

25. 12
Findings: Dimensions of the Visitor Experience
Dimension Statements on DoVE Instrument
Aesthetic Appreciation I experienced a sense of aesthetic appreciation, appreciation of objects, beauty,
grandeur; it engaged my senses
Attention I felt attentive, alert, observant; I experienced a sense of concentration; It engaged me
mentally
Autonomy I felt independent, confident; I experienced a sense of choice, control, deciding
Compassion I felt concerned for nature, concerned for others, concerned for the world, concerned for
animals; I experienced a sense of compassion
Connection I experienced a sense of connection to the past, connection with nature, connection with
objects, attachment, nostalgia
Excitement I felt excited, exhilarated, enthusiastic; I experienced a sense of enjoyment, elation
Fascination I felt fascinated, amazed, intrigued; I experienced a sense of wonder; It engaged my
imagination
Packer, J., Ballantyne, R., & Bond, N. (2018). Developing an Instrument to Capture Multifaceted Visitor Experiences:
The DoVE Adjective Checklist. Visitor Studies, 21(2), 211-231.

26. 12
Findings: Dimensions of the Visitor Experience
Dimension Statements on DoVE Instrument
Peacefulness I felt peaceful, serene, relaxed, refreshed, restored
Personal Growth I experienced a sense of accomplishment, fulfillment, growth, self-discovery, self-
actualization
Physical Activity I felt active, mobile, vigorous, energetic; It engaged me physically
Privilege I felt privileged, honored, fortunate, grateful; I experienced a sense of respect
Reflective Engagement I felt reflective, thoughtful, introspective, deep in thought; I experienced a sense of
pondering
Spiritual Engagement I felt connected spiritually, reverent; I experienced a sense of worship, sacredness; it
engaged me spiritually
Tension I felt tense, frustrated, stressed, overloaded, uncomfortable
Togetherness I felt sociable, I experienced a sense of togetherness, fellowship, companionship,
community

27. 12
Findings: Dimensions of the Visitor Experience (exhibition scores)

28. 12
Findings: Dimensions of the Visitor Experience
Exhibition
(n=88)
Art Therapy
(n=134)
Virtual Wellness
Programs (n=42)
Fascination 1.95 2.00 0.76
Reflective engagement 1.68 1.80 1.69
Aesthetic appreciation 1.59 1.48 0.95
Peacefulness 1.45 1.87 2.67
Attention 1.40 1.91 1.79
Privilege 1.19 1.60 1.40
Togetherness 1.07 1.99 1.14
Excitement 0.85 1.74 0.79
Spiritual engagement 0.81 1.07 0.90
Connection 0.70 1.14 0.33
Personal growth 0.58 1.49 1.33
Compassion 0.57 1.06 0.69
Physical Activity 0.50 1.60 0.74
Autonomy 0.27 1.17 0.50
Tension 0.13 0.37 0.07

29. 12
Findings: Project Impacts (all surveys combined)

30. 15
Findings: Views of the Art Center
My experience today made me feel that the Palo Alto Art Center is a place where…
“You can connect with people, create
art, and also feel peaceful doing it.”
- Art Therapy Workshop
“Community can be experienced online. Well-being can
be fostered and care for others can be encouraged.
- Virtual Wellness Program
“You can see art
that relates to the
community.”
- Exhibition
“We can all heal
together.”
- Public
Program

31. 15
Findings: Views of Art
My experience today made me feel that art is…
“Something you can do to
reduce stress.”
- Art Therapy Workshop
“Connected to physical
wellness.”
- Virtual Wellness Program
“An essential community
bonding experience.”
- Public Program
“Important for
healing and for
self expression.”
- Exhibition
“A beautiful way
to connect with
the community.”
- Exhibition

32. 15
Findings: Follow-Up Experiences
Over 1/2 of Creative Attention exhibition or program
participants indicated that they had continued to
participate in activities using art to promote wellness
or self-care.
“I took an art class during
school to help me calm down
with my stress.”
- Artists Residency Workshop
“I have done
additional
watercolor
workshops.”
- Art Therapy
Workshop

33. Art Therapy
Workshop
with Anh Tran,
LMFT, ATR-P

35. To learn more:
• www.cityofpaloalto.org/artcenter

36. Contacts
• Karen Kienzle—
karen.Kienzle@cityofpalo
alto.org
• Julie Forbes---
julie@julieforbes.com
• Anh Tran-Anh Tran --
trana819@gmail.com
• Maia Werner-Avidon—
maia@mwainsights.com