The Art of Engagement : Morris and Helen Belkin Art Gallery
Creators: name: Wood, Madi
name: Husain, Ibrahim
name: Wong, Jenifer
name: Yan, Bryan (Xu)
Publisher: name: The University of British Columbia
Year: 2018

description: On June 14th 1995, the Fine Arts Gallery at UBC was rededicated into the Morris and Helen Belkin Art Gallery and opened its new premise at 1825 Main Mall. Since its inception, the Gallery has aimed to provide a place where students can engage with art, ideas and strengthen the campus’s sense of community. The problem we are facing today, is attributed to the growing gap between expected and actual student engagement. While the Gallery’s value proposition is firmly rooted, it faces poor attendance and engagement – largely due to students’ lack of awareness. As part of the Community Business Project, our team aims to revitalize and enhance student engagement at the Belkin by compiling an extensive report complimented by marketing strategy tools. The project, entitled The Art of Engagement, is sponsored and facilitated – in conjunction with the Belkin itself – by UBC SEEDS Sustainability and the UBC Arts &amp; Culture District. The following report outlines extensive research and analysis of UBC students’ perceptions of engagement in general, as well as their perceptions of what engagement does and should look like within arts and culture sphere. Research consists of primary and secondary investigations: primary research includes focus groups, in-depth interviews, and a thorough online survey, while secondary research consists of interviews and online research of other universities who act as exemplars in the realm of student engagement. These investigations have been used to answer the project’s two main research questions: 1. What does “engagement” mean to UBC students? 2. How can the Belkin drive attendance and enhance engagement? Seeking answers to these questions has led to various recommendations as well as a marketing strategy for the Gallery. Recommendations have been arrived at through team ideation, but also from specific ideas shared with us from interviewees and focus group participants. These recommendations are to be used in aiding the Gallery in increasing engagement over the next twelve months. As mentioned, deliverables included recommendations and a marketing strategy. Both of these key deliverables have been completed; however, the team was also commissioned to write a formal investigative report for UBC SEEDS Sustainability, which is to be published in 2018. The final report has not yet been completed, but will be delivered to the client - in its final form - by December 4, 2017. Preliminary findings of research, and subsequent recommendations were presented to all stakeholders on November 15, 2017. All key deliverables - according to the project’s initial scope and project plan - have been addressed. Time and monetary budgets were, for all intents and purposes, adhered to - funding for research was donated, while time budgeted for specific activities remained fluid as the team reacted to externalities and needed to make adjustments. The following report illustrates and explains the project’s successes, its key findings, and recommendations. To summarize the recommendations provided are as follows: • The Belkin Blueprint Project • Form a Student Engagement Council (SEC) • Form alliances with student organizations • Focus on Facebook engagement • Host a student night • Build a referral program • Get Involved with Jump Start! • Make the Gallery more interactive • Add some ‘oomph’ to the outside, and make use of outdoor space • Make the space student friendly • Collect more visitor information. Disclaimer: “UBC SEEDS provides students with the opportunity to share the findings of their studies, as well as their opinions, conclusions and recommendations with the UBC community. The reader should bear in mind that this is a student project/report and is not an official document of UBC. Furthermore readers should bear in mind that these reports may not reflect the current status of activities at UBC. We urge you to contact the research persons mentioned in a report or the SEEDS Coordinator about the current status of the subject matter of a project/report.”