Overview
Executive summary
The Usher Gallery team wanted to gather feedback from the public about what they thought of the Usher Gallery. The feedback will influence the refresh of the art and objects displayed at the gallery. Through the engagement we:
- sought views on why people visited the Usher Gallery, and what they wanted to see
- wanted to find out what people enjoyed the most about their visit and what they did not
- gathered feedback on how long-ago people visited and if it was over three years ago why had they not returned
- aimed to find out why people had not visited the gallery and what they would like to see if they did visit
There were 441 responses to the survey and 997 page visits, several of the questions were multiple choice, with each question offering an open text box for further explanation and detail. The main findings of the survey were:
- of those that had visited the gallery, the highest number had visited within the last 6 months, and just over half of respondents had visited within the last 12 months
- those who had visited over three years ago, said they did not return because they felt they had seen everything or they thought it was permanently closed
- when asked why they had decided to visit the gallery, ‘enjoy visiting art galleries’ and ‘it was free’ were the most picked responses
- when asked what they enjoyed the most, the displays, artworks, and objects along with a particular exhibition were the highest answers
- when asked why they had never visited the gallery, ‘I had not heard of it’, ‘I did not know where it was’ and ‘I did not know it was free’ were the most common responses
- several themes emerged from the open text box questions of what they would like to see and any further comments. These themes are detailed in the findings section of this report
Methodology
The survey was on our Let’s talk Lincolnshire platform from 12 February to 15 April 2024. We also used the story and news feed tool which accompanied the survey.
The story tool allowed registered users to share their memories of the gallery, this covered visits to the gallery, exhibitions, events, and school trips. There were two stories posted. They can be found in the findings section of the report.
The news feed tool allowed the Usher Gallery team to post gallery and rehang information.
Online channels included:
- a social media campaign which detailed the engagement and rehang. This included
- Nextdoor
- Lincolnshire Facebook groups
- X
- news releases inviting the public to complete the survey and visit the gallery
- newsletters including:
- newsletters including:
- town and parish council newsletter
- County Catch Up
- Let’s talk newsletter
- University of Lincoln and schools news
- Lincoln Museum and Usher Gallery e-newsletter
- internal comms
The offline methods used were:
- a paper copy of the survey, handed out at events and the gallery
- Usher Gallery team face to face events over the course of the engagement
- two further events, one at the Lincoln Waterside Centre and one at the Usher Gallery, to speak to the public about the rehang and how they could get involved
- encouraging partners to share the survey
- in libraries
- at Lincoln Castle
- Lincs Archives
- Museum of Lincolnshire Life
- Arts Council England
Findings
Public survey
Questions were not mandatory therefore not everyone chose to complete every question.
Total page visits: 997
Total responses to the survey: 441
Paper copies completed: 15
When was the last time you visited the Usher Gallery? [choose one]
- all 441 respondents answered this question
- the largest proportion of respondents had visited the gallery within the last six months
- over 80 people said they had not been to the gallery in over three years.
- 45 people said they had never been to the Usher Gallery and were asked why this was
Why have you not returned to the Usher Gallery in over three years? [Select all that apply]
- 81 people said they had not returned to the Usher Gallery in over three years
- this question only appeared if respondents had said they had not returned to the gallery in over three years
The top three reasons for not returning to the gallery were:
- they felt they had seen everything
- pandemic closure
- they thought it was permanently closed
24 people responded ‘Other (please specify)’. The most common answers given as to why people had not returned were about:
- work commitments
- the building’s atmosphere
- not living in Lincoln
- travel and public transport
- parking in the city centre
- did not enjoy the art and were not interested
- not enough new exhibitions advertising
- not aware if there was new art on display
- caring responsibilities
Thinking of your last visit to the Usher Gallery, what made you decide to visit? [choose all that apply]
- 393 people answered this question (the total numbers add up to more than this figure because respondents could select more than one answer)
The top three most frequent answers were:
- enjoy visiting art galleries
- specific exhibition
- it’s free
62 people responded ‘Other (please specify)’. The most common answers were:
- research or for work
- education trips
- to show friends and family
- life drawing classes
- wedding event
- see Joseph banks
- works by Duncan grant
- Jame Usher collection
Thinking on your last visit to the Usher Gallery, please tell us what you may have enjoyed the most? [choose all that apply]
- this feedback will allow the team to understand what stands out to people when they visit, and which aspects need changing for the rehang
- 396 people answered this question
The three most chosen answers were:
- displays, artwork, and objects
- particular exhibition
- friendly and knowledgeable staff
16 people responded ‘other (please specify)’. The most common answers were:
- showing friends and family
- atmosphere of the building
- grounds
- arts and crafts room
- life drawing classes
- different exhibitions on offer
156 people responded with ‘a particular exhibition’. Of these, 129 people gave further detail to the ‘particular exhibition’ they had seen. The most common answers were:
- art student exhibitions
- Lincolnshire artists
- Sam Scorer exhibition
- Louth panorama exhibition
- David Remfry
- Joseph Banks expedition
- Grayson Perry (while this was held in Lincoln Museum, it is mentioned numerous times to this question)
- Gaia Earth exhibition
- Art Out of Isolation exhibition
- Community Choice
26 people responded with ‘an event for example a tour, or a specific talk’. Of these, 19 people gave further detail for this answer. The most common answers were:
- life drawing classes
- David Remfry and Martin Gayford talk
- community talk or event
- behind the scenes organised by the SLHA
- Dr Karolina Szynalska McAleavey talk
19 people responded with ‘I did not enjoy my visit’. Of these, 17 people explained why. The most common answers were:
- not interested in the art shown at the gallery
- atmosphere of the building
- outlook of the building
- not child friendly
- uninspiring
- too dark
If you have never been to the Usher Gallery, please tell us why [choose all that apply]
- 45 people said they had never been to the Usher Gallery
The three most common responses chosen were:
- didn’t know it was free
- had never heard of it
- didn’t know where it was
20 people responded ‘other (please specify)’. The most common answers were:
- lack of free parking and parking costs
- lack of publicity for events
- unsure what is on display or not interested
- travel to Lincoln
- unsure if its child friendly
- mobility problems
Is there anything you would like, or expect, to see more of in the Usher Gallery? For example, different interpretation, loaned artworks from other museums and new artworks.
- 378 people responded to this question
The key themes that emerged from this question were:
- more focus on contemporary art and ceramics
- more advertisement of the art and exhibitions
- more promotion to say it’s free
- loaned artworks
- more local artwork
- different or refresh the interpretation
- immersive experience and exhibitions
- further turnaround of the objectives and art
- better lighting
- travelling exhibitions
- more focus on textiles and embroideries
- themed galleries
Are there any further comments you would like to make about the Usher Gallery rehang?
- 281 people responded to this question
People gave a range of responses, from what they enjoyed to what they want to see more of. The key themes that emerged from this question were:
- more advertising
- better communication of events, talks, and workshops
- frequent rehangs
- Accessibility
- feature amateur artists
- better lighting
- better use of the space, including outdoor space
- enjoyed the talks
- enjoyed the galleries
- showing friends and family the gallery
- further collaborations
- tv screen use
Stories posted on Let’s Talk are available on the platform: Usher Gallery stories
About the respondents
These questions were voluntary but helped us understand who was answering the survey and visiting the gallery.
What is your age group?
- 441 people answered this question
The top three highest age categories were:
- 25 to 44 with 81 responses
- 45 to 64 with 185 responses
- 65 and over with 134 responses
What is your gender?
- 438 people answered this question, the results were:
- female with 278 responses
- male with 142 responses
- prefer to use own term with 4 responses
- prefer not to state with 14 responses
What area do you live in?
- 439 people answered this question, the top three highest districts were:
- The city of Lincoln with 178 responses
- North Kesteven with 84 responses
- West Lindsey with 80 responses
Do you consider yourself to have a disability?
- 438 people answered this question, the results were:
- 62 people said yes
- 360 people said no
- 16 people said prefer not to state
What is your ethnic background?
- 436 people answered this question, the results were:
- White British, or any white background 409 responses
- Asian British, or Asian 1 response
- Black British, Black, African or Caribbean 6 responses
- Prefer not to state 20 responses
Next steps
The Usher Gallery team will analyse the results and share updates on the feedback they received using Let's talk Lincolnshire and the Lincoln Museum website.