Focused Interest Groups (FIGs) - Initiated in December 2014, the VSA Board voted to adopt Focused Interest Groups (FIG) as part of the organizational structure. VSA FIGs are open to all current members, providing forums for sharing and cultivating common VSA member interests. FIGs are sub-groups of VSA, and their activities and activity level are dependent upon the members of each FIG. All FIGs maintain communications through Slack, which FIG members gain access to upon joining.
Current FIGs include:
- Art Museum - The Art Museum FIG is a vibrant community of evaluators and evaluation users working in or with art museums. Members share resources and engage in lively conversation around topics that are unique to evaluators working in the arts. It is a welcoming community that offers a space to bring questions, workshop ideas, or problem-solve challenges. Member-only activities include professional development talks, virtual discussion sessions, an active slack channel, and a biannual in-person session during VSA conferences. Our virtual monthly meetings are held on the second Tuesday of each month. Past topics have included gallery reinstallations, workflow management, the effects of physical barriers on visitors’ experiences, journey mapping, and the AAM annual survey, among others. To learn more about our upcoming activities, join our slack channel at art-museum-fig or check out our list of previous and upcoming topics in this Google Doc.
- Zoos, Aquariums, and Gardens (ZAGFIG) - VSA members who are interested in, and who contribute to social science/audience research and evaluation in zoos, aquariums, nature centers, botanical gardens, arboreta, or other organizations that focus on living collections. In addition to a dedicated Slack channel for VSA members, ZAGFIG manages a Facebook Group to provide a space for professionals at all levels to share resources and opportunities. ZAGFIG also hosts a Google site for VSA members to access as a hub for sharing example research or evaluation instruments, reports, and other relevant resources. ZAGFIG recently launched monthly coffee chats. Held on the fourth Tuesday of every month, ZAGFIG coffee chats are an informal space for community convening and discussion.
- Justice and Anti-Racism in Visitor Studies (JARFIG) - The Justice and Anti-Racism in Visitor Studies FIG focuses on how visitor studies and evaluation can support justice and anti-racism efforts within museums and informal learning institutions. JARFIG meets monthly and serves as a space for VSA members to convene and recontextualize what justice and equity means in their own contexts, at their own institutions. This FIG aims to bring together a group of learners to reflect on and support action around DEAI and social justice work in museums and other informal learning environments, how evaluation and visitor studies can best support and lead these efforts, and deepening our understanding and utilization of equity- and justice-focused evaluation practices.
To join one or more FIGs, please select them in your Profile via your member dashboard.
Interested in starting your own FIG? Email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. to request the FIG application materials.