Visitor Studies at the Spurlock Museum

• Events tag

• Post Date: 01/15/2019
• Author: Madeline Artibee, student writer
• Reading Time: 2 minute read

Jillian Davis and I, the visitor experience fellows in spring semester 2018, presented the results of our work in a poster session at the national Visitor Studies Association (external link) annual conference this July in Chicago. We learned so much about evaluation and made great connections in the community.

Our poster session presentation was a success! Many people stopped to not only look at our poster, but also to discuss our findings in relation to their experiences. We were surprised at the number of midwestern university-affiliated museum professionals who stopped to discuss their strategies and struggles. Many of them said our data reflected their experience. The poster session flew by, as we were both presenting almost the whole time. Presenting our findings helped me by strengthening my confidence in data that I was instrumental in collecting, which I believe will prepare me for future conference presentations.

I implore more students interested in the museum industry and professional community of museum professionals to consider joining and attending the VSA. The conference had excellent resources for emerging professionals, such as a targeted discussion session in which participants were invited to share their experience and tips for entering the evaluation and museum industries. The conference also has coffee and happy hours set aside for attendees to network and reconnect. Events like these, in addition to the groundbreaking sessions, allow participants to make the most of their time there.

Thank you so much to Spurlock and our supervisor and mentor, Director of Education Elisabeth Stone, for making this trip possible.

Madeline Artibee received her Master’s of Russian, East European and Eurasian Studies, and a concentration in History and Anthropology from the University of Illinois in May. While at the University, she worked at Spurlock and REEEC and is now volunteering and pursuing full-time museum work in Nashville, Tennessee.