Research Impact Toolkit - Art

Artists and designers often produce creative works that are then exhibited in various venues. These exhibitions are important components when measuring the social and cultural impact in these fields. Consider for the factors below when measuring the impact of an exhibition.

Peer-Review -- acceptance into a curated or juried exhibition is the equivalent to publishing in a peer-reviewed journal.  

What

• History and significance of the venue (venue website usually gives this information).
• Notable artists represented at this venue, or notable artists who have previously shown there.
• Notable past shows at this venue.

Who

• Current director/curator, notable past directors/curators.
• Juror of the show.
• Board of Directors.

How

• Who, if anyone, financially supported the show.
• Annual Giving Report -- All non-profit organizations are required to make public an “annual giving report”. This report indicates what foundation and corporate funding an organization has received, which is an indicator of the importance of the venue.

Advertisements

• Where and how was the show advertised - in what publications or where were ads displayed?
• Who was talking about the show on social media?
• Number of recipients on the mailing list for the venue.

​Reviews

• How many reviews were published?
• In what publications/platforms was the show reviewed?
• Who reviewed it?
• Who was talking about the show on social media.

Other Artists

• Who else had work in the show? 

Attendance

• ​Request, from the venue, attendance data during the time of the show, or general annual or monthly attendance of the venue.