A study to help determine the social impacts of cultural organizations in Utah will measure how museums, gardens and the state's planetarium can address social change.
The Utah Division of Arts & Museums is partnering with Thanksgiving Point to conduct a statewide social impact study among eight cultural organizations.
"We are going to use the information from ours to really reflect and discuss and consider what it is that we can do to be better," said Katie Lee-Koven, executive director & chief curator of the Nora Eccles Harrison Museum of Art in Logan.
NEHMA and three other art museums are part of the study, including the Utah Museum of Fine Arts, Springville Museum of Art and the Brigham City Museum of Art & History.
"In terms of evaluating visitors and seeing what an impact a visit to the museum has on their lives, that is a more difficult thing to measure," Lee-Koven said.
Participants will visit a single site at least three times and answer questions to measure how attending a cultural organization can improve family/personal well-being, health, knowledge and understanding of others and their community.
"Tell us what kind of programs they want to see, because they are going to use that information for the Utah Division of Arts and Museums to look across the different museums that they asked to participate," Lee-Koven said.
Findings from the survey will be used to determine what impact a cultural organization has on the communities they serve and could determine policy and spending trends.
"Hearing from people as to what their experience is like when they visit the museum and if there are things that are really great for us to hear in terms of the impact on their lives and their families is wonderful,” she said. “But, if there are things they share with us that we can improve upon or change or might make that experience even better next time they come, then we want to hear that and we want to take that into consideration and adapt what we do."
Volunteer participants can also visit the Clark Planetarium, Tracy Aviary, Red Butte Garden and the Monte L. Bean Life Science Museum as part of the study happening now through December 15.
