The Studio Summative Evaluation Report

From 2011 to 2013 Pacific Science Center created content for and regularly updated The Studio, a portal to current medical research within the Science Center’s new human health exhibit, Professor Wellbody’s Academy of Health and Wellness. The Studio is a 500 ft2 hybrid exhibit/program space that combines artifacts, hands-on exhibits, media, and a programming area where local researchers communicate their work to visitors. The Studio was designed to be extremely flexible and it's modularity enables the project team to install a new current research exhibit every six months. The aim of the IMLS Studio project was to design and implement a cost-efficient, change-ready exhibit model that could serve as a means for museum visitors to learn about current science research. Being situated within a larger similarly themed permanent gallery, this exhibit offered an opportunity to investigate the nature of how visitors negotiate between the topics of current and established science and the spaces each of those occupy within their museum visit. The addition of science programming extended the opportunities for visitors to engage with authentic science experiences. The outcomes for three audiences (casual and cohort visitors, participating scientists and museum professionals) and the extent to which they were achieved are detailed in this summative evaluation report.