Summative Evaluation: Through African Eyes: The European in African Art, 1500-Present Exhibition

The Detroit Institute of Arts (DIA) contracted Randi Korn & Associates, Inc. (RK&A) to conduct a summative evaluation of the exhibition "Through African Eyes: The European in African Art, 1500-Present." As described on the DIA Web site, Through African Eyes will illustrate how African artists from diverse cultures have used and continue to use visual forms to reflect their particular societies' changing attitudes toward Europeans, as the latter evolved from stranger to colonizer to the more inclusive Westerner. This evaluation sought to explore visitors' experiences in the exhibition, including the meanings visitors took away from the exhibition and the effects of the interpretation. RK&A conducted 50 interviews with adult visitor groups to "Through African Eyes" using a purposeful sampling method to recruit at least 20 groups of African/African American visitors. All interviews were audio recorded and fully transcribed to facilitate analysis. Rubrics were used as an analytic framework. The summative evaluation of "Through African Eyes" indicates that the exhibition was successful in helping visitors create new meaning and new ideas about Africa's history and the role that art played in it. Specifically, the majority of visitors came to understand that looking at African history through African art and from an African perspective reveals an extremely complicated history of relationships between Africans and Europeans or Westerners. Notably, there are some nuanced differences in the degree to which visitors understood this complex idea, with some understanding to a greater extent than others. However, the perspective taken by the exhibition was a new way of thinking for most visitors, thus it is not so surprising that they did not grasp specific details and intricacies. Additionally, the DIA sought to create a safe space where visitors could explore potentially uncomfortable ideas. The DIA certainly took a risk in presenting complex and provocative ideas, yet findings show that visitors were not uncomfortable; instead, they were challenged and stimulated. From the outset, the DIA showed a desire not only to create a groundbreaking exhibition that would be valued by the art history community, but also to ensure that the visiting public would appreciate and understand the exhibition's complicated ideas. In this they succeeded, owing greatly to the selection and presentation of the works of art. The exhibition contained multiple modes of interpretation, such as text, audio, video, first-person quotations, among others; presenting the material in a variety of ways allowed visitors to select the method(s) that best suited their learning styles, increasing the odds that there would be something for everyone. Furthermore, the interpretation was not included just for the sake of it, but rather the curator and interpreters thought carefully about which method would be most appropriate for conveying the various messages and ideas. For instance, first-person wall quotations were effective at conveying personal African perspectives and allowed visitors to connect to individuals, while double-sided pull-out showed that an artwork may have multiple interpretations depending on the viewer. Furthermore, the exhibition was presented in a non-confrontational, considerate, and accessible manner, enabling visitors to take in and process the material at their own pace.

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