Meeting Expectations? Assessing the Gap Between Administrative Intention and Visitor Experience at a University Art Gallery

The University of Maryland’s Stamp Art Gallery provides students and University visitors with an opportunity to experience contemporary art in an accessible location; however, ethnographic research indicates that the goals of the gallery’s administrators do not always align with the experiences of visitors. Findings show that the gallery administrators’ goals related to education and conversations about contemporary art were misaligned with visitor experiences, which were characterized by feelings of confusion. Researchers used interviews and participant observation to understand the motivations and perceptions of each group in order to suggest ways to bridge the divide.