For more than 35 years, the Walker Art Center and HGA have partnered to help people connect with the Walker’s world-class collection and become inspired by architecture designed to showcase cutting-edge ideas.
In 2021, as the Walker reopened its doors to welcome back audiences after 18 months of COVID closure, centering the audience experience was more important than ever. HGA and the Walker partnered to develop an innovative study to investigate the experiences of firsttime visitors. The architecture and planning firm would become the perfect partner in understanding how people explore the building and galleries. From July 2021 to July 2022, HGA and the Walker welcomed input from our first-time visitors through a voluntary survey that included tracing their experiences through the galleries, recording audio diaries, as well as capping their visit with a post-visit survey. This three-step process ensured a complete understanding of how visitors experience the art within our walls.
“HGA’s reputation and expertise in designing and working with arts and cultural centers makes them an ideal partner for this work,” says David Goldstein, the Walker’s director of visitor experience and insights. “The fact that the Walker has such a supportive and intimate relationship with the firm really allows us to innovate with new ideas and approaches. HGA’s tremendous work has allowed the Walker to outline next steps that will enhance the on-site visitor experience and make it easier and more intuitive for people to engage with our campus and programs.”
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