Abstract
Visitor-centred interpretive planning strategies (e.g., in-gallery response stations, chalk walls, activity tables) are still rare in art museums where the white cube mode of exhibition display tends to dominate. Where present, such strategies have typically been set entirely aside from spaces where art is displayed or relegated to small side rooms within galleries due to the perception that they interfere with visitors’ unhampered art appreciation. Notwithstanding such a perception, we know that in the absence of supplemental information, art museums, particularly contemporary ones, can be alienating to audiences lacking specialized art knowledge. Embedding differing interpretive strategies throughout an art exhibition can, therefore, transform galleries into more welcoming and dynamic spaces that enrich both new and existing audiences’ experiences with art by providing them with opportunities to do something beyond viewing art and reading labels. To illustrate this claim, I present several different examples of interpretive spaces that have been developed at the Kitchener-Waterloo Art Gallery (KWAG) in the recent past and contextualize them in the relevant interpretive planning literature. If art museums are to truly embrace their educational potential, they’ll need to ensure that learning and meaningful engagement are at the core of all the experiences they offer, not just their educational and public programs. In sharing KWAG’s examples, I, therefore, hope to inspire other art museum practitioners who are interested in re-conceptualizing the visitor experience in spaces where art is installed.
Presenters
Agnieszka ChalasAssistant Professor, Art Education, National Institute of Education, Nanyang Technological University, North West, Singapore
Details
Presentation Type
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session
Theme
2023 Special Focus—Museum Transformations: Pathways to Community Engagement
KEYWORDS
Art Museum Education, Interpretive Planning, Participatory Engagement
