Evaluation of Museum Exhibitions: interactions of Tourists/Visitors with the exhibitions of Fort of the Nativity Scene Museum and Sacred Art Museum, Belém, PA

Abstract

Museum institutions have transformed their communicative, organizational, and evaluative perspective over time, assigning guidelines aimed at the public. Aware of this, the evaluation of exhibitions has become a valuable tool to identify how public interaction takes place in the context of exhibits. Therefore, this study aimed to evaluate the interaction of tourists/visitors at the Fort of the Nativity Museum (MFP) and the Sacred Art Museum (MAS), located in the Historic Center of Bethlehem - PA. The methodology consisted of bibliographic research, documentary research, and field research through direct observation, using the Timing and Tracking method by Yallowitz and Bronnekant (2009) and the use of a formulary. Quantitative data related to average times, number of stops, and interaction indicators were used, which were related to qualitative concepts such as Attracting Power and Holding Power (GOINS; GRIFFEHAGEN, 1957), and museum fatigue (ROBINSON, 1928) to evaluate the exhibitions. It was found that in the MAS permanent exhibition, the average number of stops was below half of the minimum number to be considered in each area of the exhibition, denoting a regular Holding Power. In the MFP, this average number of stops was above the minimum number, demonstrating a good Holding Power. As for the interactions of tourists/visitors with the exhibitions, in both museums, there was a reasonableness of Holding Power and Attracting Power. It is concluded that the research involving Timing and Tracking contributed essential data for the interaction of tourists/visitors in the exhibits and that the MAS and the MFP can use this data to make a summative evaluation to improve the permanence and interaction of the visitors with areas where this interaction was not effective.