Research Criteria:
Some of the questions we considered while analyzing their online presence were:
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- What is their tone? How might it be focused on young adults?
- What events are they organizing?
- Are exhibits geared toward young adults?
- What are our observations about their various social media pages and postings?
Data Description
To build up our recommendations for our community partners on cultural institution’s community engagement and approaches to enhance connection with students/young adults, the research team examined over 30 colleges/universities-associated museums and art galleries across the nation and pulled out a list of common themes that applied by the influential institutions. Through observation, the team found out that some of the prevailing features are:
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Provides research opportunities for college students;
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Install internships during summer/winter;
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Communicate with students through academic conferences/meetings
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Establish connections with community organizations;
- Active on different social media;
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Recommendations from Historical Museums:
Loaded with the University’s profound humanistic accumulation and cultural modification, these historical museums embodied the uniqueness of school-running philosophy and continue to serve our society by providing a transgressive education experience to young adults. By examining colleges/universities-associated Historical Museums and reviewing prior research, the implications for the Connecticut Historical Society include; establishing partnerships with educational institutions to attract young audiences, conducting conversational conferences to promote community engagement, and launching student-centric programs to foster student interest.
Based on the observation and analysis, some of the recommended historical museums are;
The Oriental Institute at the U of Chicago
Wake Forest University Museum of Anthropology
Homewood Museum – Johns Hopkins University
Global Museum – San Francisco State University
Denver University Museum of Anthropology
Recommendations from Contemporary Art Museums:
By incorporating visual art design elements, University Art Museums became one of the most prevailing choices among young adults who enjoy simplicity, innovation, and a sense of modern technology. After reviewing a range of 30 University Museums, the research team found that museums with well-designed, creative, and organized web pages appeal more to young audiences. Other important traits include being active on social media, conducting student-relevant programs, and hosting discussion conferences.
The observation of contemporary art museums also adds valuable perspectives to the recommendation for the Connecticut Historical Society. This includes maintaining high-quality social media posts specified into various categories to fulfill professional, informational, and casual demands; developing a clear and organized user interface for the museum’s official website (evidence show that young adults appeal to minimalist style); and reorganizing the exhibition spaces to allow improvised conversation between museum audiences.
A series of recommended contemporary art museums include;
The Grey Art Gallery – New York University
Michael C. Carlos Museum at Emory College