New Directions for Art Galleries and Museums: The Use of Special Events to Attract Audiences - A Case Study of The Asia Pacific Triennial

摘要

In contemporary society, the role of art galleries is changing. As social patterns and demands have changed, so to have peopleu27s expectations of their visiting experiences at art galleries. As well, the traditional boundaries that defined the functions of art galleries has changed as these institutions have had to expand as they increasingly see themselves as part of the wider leisure establishment. A frequent response by art galleries to the situation of changing roles and audiences has been the mounting of special events to bring in increased visitors and to modernize their appeal and therefore competitiveness (Hooper-Greenhill 1994; Frey & Busenhart 1996). This paper examines the motivations for attending the Asia-Pacific Triennial Art Exhibition to uncover some of the factors that motivate audiences to attend special events at art galleries. To highlight the differences between audiences who visit art galleries specifically to attend the special events, and audiences who attend galleries for a general visit, the motivations of attendees to both the Queensland Art Galleryu27s Asia-Pacific Triennial and general gallery are examined and compared.