Action/AbstractionCurators Conversation at Schingoethe
Photos Courtesy of Schingoethe Center of Aurora University
Funding Categories
Honoraria
Transportation
Travel
Marketing & Outreach
partner
Schingoethe Center of Aurora University
location
Aurora, IL
About
For this event, the Schingoethe Center brought in two curators of "Action/Abstraction Redefined" to deliver the keynote lecture and give micro talks at the opening reception alongside artist Linda Lomahaftewa. The Schingoethe Center hoped these speakers would appeal to the greater Aurora community and funded bus transportation for attendees traveling from local community centers to the museum.
Photos courtesy of the Schingoethe Center Of Aurora University
Intended Outcome
To increase attendance at public programs among the Aurora University community by 30% and among visitors outside of the Aurora University community by 100-200 people.
Actual Outcome
Overall, the opening reception and keynote lecture were high-quality events that greatly benefited the museum’s audiences. All three speakers were charismatic and engaged attendees during their micro talks and individual conversations. Visitors enjoyed the in-gallery learning opportunities that the micro talks provided, and one surveyed attendee commented that the reception was “well-organized, informative, and enlightening.” Students also mentioned how meaningful it was to engage with an exceptional artist like Lomahaftewa and accomplished museum professionals like Lomahaftewa-Singer and Well-Off-Man. Compared to the reception for the museum’s fall 2022 exhibition, the opening reception for "Action/Abstraction Redefined" saw a 22% increase in attendance. However, the bus transportation was underutilized as a result of another major community event taking place on the same day.
Advice Post Project
In retrospect, the museum noticed that attendance at evening events has been slowly declining and believes it is likely because most of the university community is made up of commuter students who prefer programs that take place during the school day. For future exhibitions, the museum plans to host midday lectures and talks to attract the largest number of attendees possible. Other university galleries with similar student demographics may want to consider shifting to this strategy as well.
Photos courtesy of the Schingoethe Center Of Aurora University
Related exhibitions
Learn MoreAbout This Activity
Photos Courtesy of Schingoethe Center of Aurora University
multimedia documentation
- Tatiana Lomahaftewa-Singer - "Action/Abstraction Redefined" Curator Video
- Manuela Well-Off-Man - "Action/Abstraction Redefined" Curator Video
- Tatiana Lomahaftewa-Singer & Manuela Well-Off-Man - "Action/Abstraction Redefined" Curators Video
- Linda Lomahaftewa - "Action/Abstraction Redefined" Artist Video