Intoxicated by Georgia A Study of Visitors to Wine, Worship and Sacrifice: The Golden Graves of Ancient Vani Office of Policy and Analysis Smithsonian Institution March 2008 Preface It is quite a leap from Colchis to Washington, D.C., but precious artifacts from Western Georgia, the land of the Golden Fleece, made the journey for Wine, Worship and Sacrifice: The Golden Graves of Ancient Vani in December 2007. The exhibition displayed remarkable discoveries from Vani, the most sacred city of Colchis. The majority were discovered under the leadership of Dr. Otar Lordkipanidze, the renowned Georgian archaeologist. Dr. Darejan Kacharava is now in charge of the project. Objects from the 8th to 1st Century B.C. were displayed, including an amazing bronze torso, sophisticated gold and silver jewelry, delicate glass scent bottles, rare coins, a fascinating bronze eagle, and incomparable iron figurines with gold earrings and bracelets. The outstanding objects are housed in the Georgian National Museum, located in Tbilisi, Georgia, as well as the Vani Museum, situated in the city of Vani, in Western Georgia. The Office of Policy and Analysis (OP&A), an analytical arm of the Smithsonian Institution, conducts visitor studies as a part of a mandate to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of Smithsonian museums. The Director of the Freer and Sackler Galleries (FSG), Dr. Julian Raby, is very interested in the public’s views of exhibitions. Over the years, he has showcased an extraordinary range of groundbreaking works from Asia, but this is the first time he has displayed Georgian artifacts. I give him my heartfelt thanks. OP&A was especially pleased to review this exhibition as a result of the Director’s longstanding relationship with the nation of Georgia and the Georgian National Museum, a treasure house of remarkable artifacts recovered over the centuries and rooted in the depths of history. Although the exhibit is a tribute to Dr. Otar Lordkipanidze, I would also like to recognize Dr. David Lordkipanidze for his invaluable contributions as the Director of the Georgian National Museum. His decision to share these great artifacts with the American public stands as an affirmation that art has no boundaries. I am also grateful to Misha Tsereteli, Deputy Director of the Georgian National Museum, for his efforts. He was patient and kept his eye on the big picture while paying careful attention to detail. In the months leading up to the exhibit, four Georgian conservators Tea Kintsurashvili, Irakli Bokeria, and Nino Kaladadze, from the Georgian National Museum, and Nato Gabelaia from the Georgian Parliamentary Library studied current conservation practices at the Smithsonian’s Museum Conservation Institute (MCI). Part of their practical training included the exquisite restoration of several of the objects on display in the exhibit. Dr. Robert Koestler, Director of MCI, Dr. Paula DePriest, Deputy Director of MCI, and Dr. Paul Jett, Head of Conservation and Scientific Research at FSG, played Page 2 major roles in the Georgian conservators’ professional training – enabling both this exhibit and a bright future for Georgian conservation. All have my admiration, affection and respect. In addition to thanking Dr. Raby, I would like to thank his talented staff, most notably the Galleries’ proficient Head of Exhibitions, Cheryl Sobas, for her disciplined approach to managing the project and for her insights. I also would like to express my gratitude to my excellent staff. Whitney Watriss and Kathleen Ernst administered the surveys. Justin Cason and James Brown, two very able interns, interviewed visitors. Justin also participated in the qualitative analysis. Finally, I am grateful to Lance Costello who supervised all phases of the work and wrote the report. His professionalism, which includes flexibility, the ability to work collaboratively, and his writing skills, combined with his knowledge of design, played a key role in the visitors’ evaluation of this wonderful exhibit. Carole M. P. Neves, Ph.D. Director Office of Policy and Analysis Page 3 Background Wine, Worship and Sacrifice: The Golden Graves of Ancient Vani (WWS) was on view at the Arthur M. Sackler Gallery from December 1, 2007 through February 24, 2008. The exhibition occupied four rooms on the second floor of the Gallery. The rooms’ dark colors and lighting added a sense of drama. The influences of Greek and Persian aesthetics on artifacts from Colchis were highlighted throughout the exhibition; they evoked beauty and underscored the consummate craftsmanship of the objects. Iron figurines with gold bracelets, necklaces and earrings were displayed in the first room. The inventive, masterful sculptures looked as if they were created by 20th Century modern artists. The second room presented examples of the region’s intricate craftsmanship: stunning gold and silver jewelry, including necklaces, bracelets, rings and diadems. Large terracotta amphorae anchored the third room; they were flanked by additional gold ornaments, drinking vessels and Greek and Colchian coins. The amphorae and vessels conveyed early evidence of wine and winemaking. A majestic bronze torso was centered prominently in the final room, along with bronze busts of mythological figures, an eagle, claws, and a battering ram. The torso symbolized the breadth and grandeur of the collection, as well as the enduring Greek influence on Western civilization. Methodology In conducting this exhibition study, the study team used two main research methods: A survey of a random sample of visitors exiting the exhibition. Visitors completed 316 self-administered survey questionnaires, with a response rate of 90 percent. Frequencies of responses to the questions on the survey are provided in Appendix B. In-depth qualitative interviews with visitors to the exhibition. Some of these were taken prior to the survey for the purpose of informing its content. The OP&A study team interviewed 30 people. Interviews were recorded, transcribed, and analyzed by the study team to search for common themes and well-articulated insights. Page 4 Findings: Survey Visitor Characteristics Intention: Previous studies of Sackler exhibitions have shown that the Gallery receives two broad categories of visitors: those who come for a particular exhibit and those whose visits are more general – sometimes to see Asian art and sometimes just to see “the Smithsonian.” Just over half of respondents (53%) came to the Sackler to see Wine, Worship and Sacrifice: The Golden Graves of Ancient Vani (WWS) – we will refer to these visitors as exhibition specific visitors. Previous visits: More than four in ten (44%) WWS visitors were recent regulars; that is, they visited the museum at least once during the past year. Over a quarter of all visitors (26%) were local regulars or DC metropolitan area visitors who visited at least once in the previous year. Recent regulars were more likely than others to be exhibition specific visitors (62% vs. 45%) Demographics Age: The average age of respondents was 50 and the median age was 53. Divided by generation, one percent of respondents were from the WWII generation (Born 1901- 1924); 28%, Postwar Generation (Born 1925-1945); 27%, Leading Edge Boomers (Born 1946-1955); 15%, Trailing Edge Boomers (Born 1956-1964); 16%, Generation X (Born 1965-1981); 14%, Generation Y (Born 1982-2001). Chart 1: Age by Generation WWII (Born 1901- Generation Y 1924), 1% (Born 1982-2001), 14% Postw ar (Born 1925-1945), 28% Generation X (Born 1965-1981), 16% Trailing Edge Boomers (Born Leading Edge 1956-1964), 15% Boomers (Born 1946-1955), 27% Page 5 Sex: Following art exhibition trends, visitors to the exhibition were skewed slightly toward female, 58%. This was even more pronounced among exhibition specific visitors, 68% of whom were female (vs. 48% of others). Residence: Over nine-tenths of respondents (94%) were residents of the United States, and two-fifths (40%) were from the Washington DC metropolitan area. Half of the exhibition specific visitors were locals. Group size and composition: About one in three visitors to WWS was an adult visiting alone (32%), about two in five (39%) were adults visiting with one other adult. Roughly one in ten (9%) came in a group with someone under eighteen. Recent regulars were more likely to visit alone (41%). Exhibition specific visitors, on the other hand, were less likely to visit alone (27%). Awareness The most commonly reported way visitors reported finding out about the exhibit was from visiting the museum today, which roughly one third (32%) of visitors marked. This accounted for two thirds of visitors not identified as exhibition specific. Another three in ten (30%) noted finding out about the exhibition through a newspaper article/ad. Both exhibition specific visitors (50%) and recent regulars (46%) were more likely to learn about WWS this way. Over a quarter of respondents found out about the exhibition from friends, family, and colleagues (27%). This number rose to nearly four in ten among exhibition specific visitors (39%), but was less often the case among recent regulars (19%). Page 6 Chart 2: How visitors found about Wine, Worship, and Sacrifice Visiting the museum today New spaper article/ad Friends / family / colleagues Website Poster / billboard Other: _________ 0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% Interests Nearly three quarters of respondents (72%) were very interested in archaeological discoveries. Half or more were very interested in art from lesser known geographical areas (56%), Asian cultures (55%), and Asian art (50%). About four in ten were very interested in jewelry (44%) and contemporary art (39%). Exhibition specific visitors marked very interested more than other visitors in archaeological discoveries (78% vs. 65%) and jewelry (50% vs. 38%). Recent regulars were more likely, not surprisingly, to mark very interested for Asian cultures (68%), and Asian art (93%). Page 7 Chart 3: Visitors’ interests Archaeological discoveries Art from lesser know n geographical areas Asian cultures Asian art Jew elry Contemporary art 0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100% Very Interested Somew hat Interested Not Interested Satisfaction Visitor satisfaction with WWS was slightly above average for a Sackler exhibition.