Findings from Focus Group Research Conducted on Behalf of the Mcnay Art Museum

Findings from Focus Group Research Conducted on Behalf of the McNay Art Museum Prepared by: October, 2013 Findings from Focus Group Research for the McNay Art Museum BACKGROUND The McNay Art Museum, the first museum of modern art in Texas, had had a visitor base of a steady 100,000 over the past few years. It would like to grow the number of visitors, and would like to understand why many museum-minded San Antonio residents do not visit. A quantitative research study will be conducted after this research to affirm findings found in this qualitative research. RESEARCH OBJECTIVES The objectives of this research were to: • Understand what these San Antonio residents do in their leisure time and what role, if any, museums play; • See what sources of information consumers use in deciding how to spend their leisure time; • Learn what perceptions’ residents have about the McNay; • Gather reactions to two television and one radio (in Spanish) ad; and • After learning more about the McNay, understand how interested residents would be in attending it. METHODOLOGY Two focus groups were conducted in San Antonio on October 16, 2013. Each group lasted a full two hours. Typically, ARA likes to handle recruiting by gathering lists from other museums of their visitors; this was not possible and recruiting was done using the facility’s (Galloway Market Research) database. Group 1 was designed to be Established Museum-Goers. They attended / visited at least three of the cultural arts organizations on the list, and several were members. Several also collected art, visited galleries or had taken art appreciation or art classes. Most were married. Education-wise, most were college and post-graduate school graduates. They tended to be higher income than Group 2, and skewed Caucasian. Group 2 were designed to be New / Progressive Museum-Goers. Their current involvement in the arts was less than Group 1, although they had participated in some cultural activates in the past. Income-wise, their incomes were slightly less than Group 1 and they skewed more Latino / Hispanic than Group 1. Page 2 Both groups met the following criteria: • Shared or primary decision- maker when it came to deciding which museums or cultural attractions they would visit in the San Antonio metropolitan area • Mix of men and women, with a skew towards women • Mix of ages between 30 and 65 • Minimal household income of $50,000 • A few had lived in San Antonio for less than 5 years although most had lived there for a long period of time • Had not visited the McNay in the past 12 months; may have visited in the past 5 years; none were current McNay members • In visiting the McNay, had not come only because of a wedding, to take pictures on the grounds, or to attend a free outdoor event • Some had kids under the age of 11 at home • Minimally high school graduate • Passed security screening for past participation and current employment • Articulate and spoke English clearly and fluently For those unfamiliar with the McNay Art Museum, several publications were used to give them a feel of the Museum: Visitor Guide, the McNay Art Museum: An Introduction , and the most recent edition of Illustrations, the quarterly guide for members. Barbara O’Connor of Audience Research & Analysis moderated the groups and prepared this report. RESEARCH SENSITIVITY Qualitative research has certain limitations. These studies are exploratory in nature; they are used to elicit a range of responses, stimulate dialogue, generate ideas, and develop hypotheses. Because of the limited number of participants, unstructured questioning procedures and the potential for respondents to influence each other, focus group findings should not be considered conclusive or projectable. Thus, more rigorous research is required to determine the extent to which other consumers exhibit the behavior and hold the attitudes and perceptions found in this qualitative study. Page 3 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY Leisure Time / Visiting Museums • These residents liked living in San Antonio and perceived that there were a great number of fun and interesting activities, celebrations and a fiesta to do. As one said, “ There’s so much going on in San Antonio all the time that it’s kind of hard to weed out just the museums in general because there’s always so much going on .” • Attitudinal differences appeared between the two groups. Group 1, more established museum-goers, were likely to view museums as an activity they did in their free time more than were Group 2 respondents, who did not spontaneously mention attending museums as a leisure-time pursuit. • For parents, activities that they could do with children (interactive, not boring, and safe – they could do no damage) were top-of-mind for leisure activities, not art museums. • Many visited museums when they traveled. Most often, however, among these groups, museum visits were to museums of interest to children. Cultural Activities • In addition to museums, there were a large number of other cultural events in the city. The Majestic Theatre performances were very popular. Also, a wide variety of other activities (music festivals, the fiesta, plays, children-specific events) were available and competed for these San Antonio residents’ time. • These residents frequently noted inadequacies when it came to visiting museums in San Antonio. The major issue is the lack of changing exhibitions – they are not motivated to return to the same museum to see the same show. Secondly, some San Antonians do not see themselves as being as cultured as residents of other cities. Third, there is considerable competition from “fun” festivals and events. Page 4 Sources of Information • There were many sources and it was relatively easy for consumers to find out what there was to do in San Antonio. Although citing many places where they received information, the Current and Our Kids’ publications were the most popular. Residents cited many other resources – print publications including “Weekender” section of the paper, local papers, kid- specific newspapers, the San Antonio Express News, and the San Antonio Magazine . They listened to talk radio. Compared to other cities in which ARA has done research, San Antonians seemed to be more likely to be Facebook “friends” of local institutions. They did not, however, mention television or television ads unaided as a source of information. • Many mentioned that museum banners also provided information about museum events. • Websites used included the Convention and Visitor’s Bureau site, the San Antonio Arts site, and specific museum websites. • Many received email blasts or postcard mailers from institutions. Museums Visited • By design, these San Antonians had not visited the McNay’s exhibitions in the past year, although some had in the past. Most, however, had been to San Antonio’s other major museums – the Children’s Museum, the Witte, and SAMA. • Although they had not been inside the Museum, several had been to weddings or outdoor visits to the grounds at the McNay. Perceptions of the McNay • These consumers had many positive perceptions of the McNay, even though many had not been there at all or in a long time. These included: gorgeous landscaping and grounds, beautiful and historic building that had been someone’s home, being quiet and peaceful, and that it was an art museum. Perceptions of the types of art varied from contemporary art to Renaissance art, “ expensive ” and “ famous ” works of art, and glass. • On the negative side are challenges for the McNay to overcome, as residents perceived the Museum not to be child-friendly, somewhat uninviting to the average middle class person / elitist, limited (only had art), strict with its rules for viewing art, and with an out-of-way location. • These respondents perceived that the McNay was unique from other San Antonio museums, largely because of its lovely grounds and the building, rather than the art itself. Page 5 • Other than hosting permanent and special exhibitions, there was little awareness of other activities sponsored by the Museum, such as conversations / lectures, performances, and family programs. There was a great deal of interest in family programs once participants became aware of them. • None were aware of Second Thursdays with free beer, food trucks, music, and for $5, a visit to the Museum. There was a great deal of excitement about this – and the November 14 event will probably have many focus group respondents in attendance. Typical McNay Visitor • When asked who they thought was the typical McNay visitor, respondents pictured middle- aged and older people, somewhat upscale (favorite shops ranged from Macy*s to Nieman Marcus), intelligent (historians, professors), art lovers, predominantly women, did not have to work, and made a museum visit a social occasion (lunch included). • Interestingly, none of these respondents imagined themselves as the typical McNay visitor. Reaction to Current Marketing Materials • The Visitor Guide generated many suggestions for improvement. While it provided the necessary logistical information (hours, prices, etc.), it did not do a good job of explaining the McNay’s contents as well as it might. o Consumers found the hours of operation to be acceptable. o They were delighted with the reasonable admission prices, particularly when they learned that children 12 and under were admitted free of charge. • In order to give them an idea of what the Museum contained, respondents spent a few minutes looking through the McNay Art Museum: An Introduction . Many thought the book gave a first-rate overview of the types of art at the Museum – and that there was something there for everyone. They were also interested in the life of Mrs. McNay, and others were curious about her home. Page 6 The Impressions magazine was very well received and gave these residents an even more positive feel for the Museum.

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