A Song for the Horse Nation A Study of Visitors to the Exhibition

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1 ASongfortheHorseNation AStudyofVisitorstotheExhibition SmithsonianInstitution OfficeofPolicy&Analysis Background AftertheirreturntotheAmericasduringthecolonizationofthe15 th century,horsesquickly transformedthelivesofnativepeoplesacrossthecontinent,especiallyinthegreatplains,and becameacentralpartofnativeamericanlife.horsesaffectedtravel,hunting,anddefense; werehonoredbynativepeoples;andwereincorporatedintotheirculturalandspirituallives throughvarioustraditionsandformsofartwork. Thiscriticalroleofthehorseinshapingthesocial,economic,cultural,andspiritualfoundations ofamericanindianlifewasthefocusofasongforthehorsenation,anexhibitionondisplayat thegeorgegustavhayecenter(gghc)innewyorkfromnovember14,2009tojuly7,2011. Theexhibitionincorporatedadiversemixofartifacts,includingridingequipment,culturaland spiritualitems,artwork,clothing,andhouseholditemsthatdepicttheculturalimportanceof horses.thewide rangingexhibitionalsocontaineddocumentaryphotographs,informationbasedwrittendescriptionsandinteractivedisplays,vividpersonalaccounts,andcontemporary artwork,allofwhichillustratedthecontinuedintricaterelationshipofnativepeoplesand horses. Methodology Thefocusofthisquestionnairewastodeterminebasicdemographiccharacteristicsofvisitors toasongforthehorsenationandtheirratingsoftheexhibition.abriefnine questionsurvey wasadministeredonsunday,june27,2010usingacensussampleofallvisitorsexitingthe exhibitionduringspecifictimeperiods.atotalof218visitorswereintercepted,and196 surveyswerecompleted,yieldingahighresponserateof90%.(seeappendixaforacopyof thequestionnaireandappendixbforfrequenciesofresponses.) ThisstudywasmodeledonthatofasimilarsurveyofvisitorsconductedonApril7 9,2009by theofficeofpolicyandanalysis(op&a)forfritzscholder:indian/notindianandincludes comparisonsofresponsestothatsurvey.scholderfeaturedtheworkofacontemporaryartist, FritzScholder,andwaspresentedattheGeorgeGustavHeyeCenter(GGHC)inNewYorkCity fromnovember1,2008tomay17, DatawascollectedbyLanceCostello,OP&A.AlexisVanZalen,aninterninOP&A,supervisedbyLanceCostello, completedtheanalysisandreportpreparation.andrewpekarik,op&a,reviewedtheanalysisandmadeadditional suggestions. Page1of7

2 Findings VisitorDemographics ThemajorityofvisitorstoASongfortheHorseNationwerewomen(60%).Aboutoneinsix visitorsidentifiedthemselvesasnativeamerican(16%),andonlyahandfulwerecharter membersofnmai(4%). Morethanhalfofallvisitorswere45yearsoldoryounger(55%)andoneinthreewas28or younger(33%).visitoragedividedbygenerationisshowninfigure1. Figure1:AgeDistribu4onbyGenera4on VisitorGeneradon 11% 17% 16% 22% 33% Distribudon Postwar LeadingEdgeBoomers TrailingEdgeBoomers GeneradonX GeneradonY Figure1 Source:AppendixB,Question6 SlightlymorethanoneinthreevisitorscamefromacountryotherthantheUnitedStates(36%) andaboutoneinfourwerelocalvisitorsfromwithinatwenty mileradiusofthemuseum (26%). Onthewhole,threeoutoffourvisitorscameingroupsofadultsonly(76%).Fewervisited alone(11%)orcamewithoneormorechildrenundertheageoftwelve(13%).notably,nonlocalvisitorsweremorelikelytovisitinadult onlygroups(80%vs.66%). VisitorCharacteristics Themajorityofvisitors,aboutfiveinsix,werevisitingGGHCforthefirsttimeonthedayofthe survey(85%).notsurprisingly,localvisitorsweremorelikelytobemakingarepeatvisit(34% vs.9%ofnon localvisitors). SlightlymorethanhalfofallvisitorsfoundoutaboutASongfortheHorseNationwhilevisiting themuseumthatday(55%).oneinfivehadheardaboutitfromtheirfriends,family,or colleagues(19%)andfewerfoundoutfromreadingareview(6%).anotheroneinfivelearned abouttheexhibitionfroman other source(20%),whichvisitorswereaskedtospecify.these Page2of7

3 othersourcesincluded:themuseum swebsite,abustourguide,signsintheareaorthe subway,universityprofessors,museummembership,andtv.internationalvisitorswereless likelytohavefoundoutaboutasongforthehorsenationintheseotherways(9%vs.23%of visitorsfromtheunitedstates).figure2illustratesthepercentageofvisitorsthatmarkedeach ofthefourchoicesgivenonthequestionnaire. Other 20% ReadReview 6% Friends/Family/ Colleagues 19% VisidngtheMuseum Today 55% Figure2 Source:AppendixB,Question2 Ratings VisitorswereaskedtoratetheiroverallexperiencesinASongfortheHorseNationonthe standardfive pointscaleusedbyop&aacrosssmithsonianexhibitions:poor,fair,good, Excellent,Superior.Overall,theratingsshowapositivereactionofvisitorstotheexhibit.One insixvisitorsmarkedsuperior(15%)andhalfmarkedexcellent(51%).aboutoneinthree markedaratinglowerthanexcellent(good,29%;fair,5%;orpoor,0%).thisskewtowards higherratingscorrespondswiththeaverageratingscollectedbyop&aacrosssmithsonian exhibitionstudies,asshowninfigure3. Poor Fair Good Excellent Superior HorseNadon 5% 29% 51% 15% SmithsonianAverage 4% 26% 49% 20% Figure3 Source:AppendixB,Question3 Page3of7

4 Visitors ratingswereaffected,tosomedegree,bytheirdemographiccharacteristics: WomenweremorelikelytoratetheexhibitSuperior(20%vs.7%ofmen)andmen weremorelikelytorateitpoor,fair,orgood(43%vs.28%ofwomen). Internationalvisitorstendedtobemorestrictgradersandwerelesslikelythanvisitors fromtheunitedstatestoratetheexhibitsuperior(8%vs.18%fromtheunitedstates) andmorelikelytorateitpoor,fair,orgood(45%vs.29%fromtheunitedstates).this tendencyhasbeendocumentedinothersmithsonianstudies. Visitorswhofoundoutabouttheexhibitionduringtheirvisittothemuseumthatday werealsomorelikelytorateitpoor,fair,orgoodthanthosewhofoundoutabouta SongfortheHorseNationthroughanyothersource(43%vs.24%). HorseNationComparedtoScholder Forthemostpart,thedemographiccompositionofvisitorstoASongfortheHorseNationand FritzScholder:Indian/NotIndianwascomparable.Onemajordifference,however,wasa muchsmallerpercentageofinternationalvisitorstohorsenation(36%vs.70%ofvisitorsto Scholder).VisitorstoHorseNationwerealsomorelikelytohavevisitedthemuseumpreviously (15%vs.7%forScholder).Additionally,thevisitorpopulationofHorseNationcontaineda higherpercentageofvisitorswhoidentifiedthemselvesasnativeamericans(16%vs.7%). Overall,visitorsratedASongfortheHorseNationhigherthantheyratedFritzScholder: Indian/NotIndian.VisitorstoHorseNationweremorelikelythanvisitorstoScholdertorate theexhibittheyvisitedasexcellentorsuperior(66%vs.45%).figure4illustratesthis. Poor Fair Good Excellent Superior Horse Nadon 5% 29% 51% 15% Scholder 9% 47% 36% 9% Figure4 Source:AppendixB,Question3 Page4of7

5 Discussion VisitorsoverallexperienceratingsforASongfortheHorseNationwereonparwiththe Smithsonianaverage.VisitorstendedtoratethisexhibithigherthantheyratedFritzScholder: Indian/NotIndian.InpartthiswasaffectedbytheScholderexhibition shigherpercentageof internationalvisitors visitorswhotendedtogivelowerratings.butusvisitorsalsoweremore criticalofscholderandofhorsenation,givingitlowersuperiorratings(13%vs.18%forhorse Nation)andhigherPoor Fair Goodratings(53%vs.29%forHorseNation). ThehighernumberofUSvisitorstoHorseNationalsoaccountsforHorseNation shigher percentageofrepeatvisitors.thehigherpercentageofpeoplewhoidentifiedthemselvesas NativeAmericaninHorseNationisduetothehighernumberofinternationalvisitorswho identifiedthemselvesasnativeamerican(2%ofinternationalvisitorsinscholder;10%of internationalvisitorsinhorsenation). OnepossiblereasonforthehigherproportionofvisitorsfromtheUnitedStatestoHorse NationthantoScholderwaswhenthetwosurveyswerecollected thesurveysforhorse NationwerecollectedonaSundayinJune,atimeofyearwhentherearemoredomestic touristsbecauseschoolisnotissessionandadayoftheweekwhenlocalsaremorelikelyto visit,whereasthesurveysforscholderwerecollectedonweekdaysinapril. Anothernoteworthyfindingisthedifferencebetweenthecompositionoflocalandnon local visitorgroups.localvisitorsweremorelikelytovisitaloneorvisitwithchildren,whilenonlocalvisitorsweremorelikelytovisitinadultonlygroups.consideringthatlocalsweremore likelytoberepeatvisitors,theymaybeanaudiencethemuseumwishestogathermore informationabouttoinformtheirdecisionsonadvertisingforfutureexhibits. Thisstudyalsopointstoanothertopicforfurtherstudy:whyinternationalvisitorsaremore likelytorateexhibitionlowerthanvisitorsfromtheunitedstates,asthisandseveralother Smithsonianstudieshaveshown.ThisisespeciallyimportantforGGHCbecause,asthe Scholderstudydemonstrated,internationalvisitorscanmakeupaverylargeportionofthe visitorpopulationtoexhibitsatthismuseum. Page5of7

6 AppendixA:SurveyQuestionnaire Page6of7

7 AppendixB:FrequenciesofResponses 1.Isthisyourfirstvisittothismuseum,the Yes 85% NationalMuseumoftheAmericanIndian? No 15% Total 100% 2.Howdidyoufindoutaboutthis VisitingMuseumToday 55% exhibition,asongforthehorsenation? ReadReview 6% Friends/Family/Colleagues 19% Other 20% Total 100% 3.Pleaserateyourexperienceinthis Poor 0% exhibitiontoday: Fair 5% Good 29% Excellent 51% Superior 15% Total 100% 4.DoyouliveintheUnitedStates,or anothercountry? UnitedStates 64% AnotherCountry 36% Total 100% 5.Areyoumaleorfemale? Male 40% Female 60% Total 100% 6.Whatisyourage? Postwar 11% LeadingEdgeBoomers 17% TrailingEdgeBoomers 16% GenerationX 22% GenerationY 33% Total 99% 7.Withwhomdidyouvisitthis exhibition?[chooseone] Iamalone 11% Withadultsonly 76% Withoneormorechildren 13% Total 100% 8.DoyouidentifyasaNativeAmerican? Yes 16% No 84% Total 100% 9.AreyouachartermemberofNMAI? Yes 4% No 96% Total 100% Page7of7