Gertrude Stein in Portraits: A Pose Is a Pose Is a Pose, Exercises of Art

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Gertrude Stein in Portraits: A Pose Is a Pose Is a Pose A STUDY OF VISITORS TO SEEING GERTRUDE STEIN: FIVE STORIES AT THE NATIONAL PORTRAIT GALLERY April 2012 Office of Policy and Analysis Washington, DC 20012 2 Table of Contents Table of Contents ..................................................................................................................................................................... 2 List of Figures ....................................................................................................................................................................... 2 Foreword .................................................................................................................................................................................... 4 Introduction ............................................................................................................................................................................... 6 Methodology .............................................................................................................................................................................. 7 Quantitative Surveys ......................................................................................................................................................... 7 Qualitative Interviews ...................................................................................................................................................... 7 Quantitative Findings............................................................................................................................................................. 9 Visit History........................................................................................................................................................................... 9 Visit Purpose ......................................................................................................................................................................... 9 Visit Groups ......................................................................................................................................................................... 10 Sex ........................................................................................................................................................................................... 10 Residence ............................................................................................................................................................................. 10 Age .......................................................................................................................................................................................... 10 Ratings ................................................................................................................................................................................... 11 Visitor Experiences and Interests .............................................................................................................................. 14 Miscellaneous ..................................................................................................................................................................... 18 Qualitative Findings.............................................................................................................................................................. 20 Content Level /Accessibility ......................................................................................................................................... 20 Perception/Classification .............................................................................................................................................. 21 Layout and Presentation ................................................................................................................................................ 22 Favorite Objects, Artworks, and Displays ............................................................................................................... 24 Themes .................................................................................................................................................................................. 25 Miscellaneous ..................................................................................................................................................................... 29 Discussion ................................................................................................................................................................................. 31 Appendix A: Questionnaire................................................................................................................................................ 33 Appendix B: Frequency of Responses ........................................................................................................................... 35 Appendix C: Open-ended Survey Comments ............................................................................................................. 39 If you came specifically to see this exhibition, what attracted you to it? .................................................. 39 What was your favorite portrait, artifact, or display in this exhibition, and why? ................................ 42 Did you find anything surprising or unexpected in this exhibition? ........................................................... 46 Appendix D: Qualitative Interview Guide .................................................................................................................... 49 List of Figures Figure 1: Visitation by Generational Cohort ............................................................................................................... 10 Figure 2: Overall Experience Rating .............................................................................................................................. 11 Figure 3: Comparative Overall Experience Ratings for Recent NPG Exhibitions ........................................ 13 5 Finally, I would like to thank the curators of Seeing Gertrude Stein—Wanda M. Corn, Tirza True Latimer, and in-house curator Wendy Wick Reaves—who generously donated their time to meet with OP&A staff to help formulate research questions for this study. Carole M. P. Neves Director, Smithsonian Office of Policy And Analysis 6 Introduction In early 2011, leaders of the National Portrait Gallery (NPG) asked the Smithsonian Office of Policy and Analysis (OP&A) to undertake a series of visitor studies of temporary exhibitions. This report, a part of that series, looks at Seeing Gertrude Stein: Five Stories (hereafter, Seeing Gertrude Stein), an exhibition jointly organized by NPG and the Contemporary Jewish Museum in San Francisco, California. The exhibition was on display on the second floor of the Donald W. Reynolds Center for American Art and Portraiture from October 14, 2011 to January 22, 2012. Gertrude Stein is best known as a writer whose work was marked by radical experimentation with language, and as a prescient patron of young artists, some of whom (notably Pablo Picasso) went on to enjoy great success. She also achieved a degree of notoriety for living in an openly homosexual domestic partnership at a time when doing so was not common. Stein had a profound influence on writers and artists of the early twentieth century, and her influence continues today. Seeing Gertrude Stein leads the visitor through five different aspects of Stein’s life. Shown chronologically, each “Story” presents a significant period or aspect of Stein’s life. “Picturing Gertrude” (Story One) displays a variety of portraits of Stein, who modeled extensively for sculptors, painters, and photographers, as well as photographs of her family. Story Two, “Domestic Stein,” focuses on Stein’s partnership with Alice B. Toklas and the couple’s unique mode of dress, decoration, and willingness to open their home. Story Three, “Art of Friendship,” presents the post- World War I relationships and collaborations between Stein and her artist friends. “Celebrity Stein” (Story Four) traces Stein’s return to the United States as a celebrated author and speaker, while Story Five, “Legacies,” examines Stein’s continuing influence in art and literature today. The many portraits of Stein herself were central to the exhibition. However, the diverse mix of artifacts, contextual photographs, and audio/visual elements that surrounded the portraiture provided a rich framework for understanding the life and times of Gertrude Stein. 7 Methodology Quantitative Surveys Every visitor1 exiting Seeing Gertrude Stein through a given exit2 during 10 survey administration sessions3 conducted between December 19, 2011 and January 14, 2012 was intercepted and asked to complete a survey. The exit survey was completed by 335 visitors, with a response rate of 64%. The questionnaire is reproduced in Appendix A and frequencies of responses are provided in Appendix B. Open-ended (write-in) comments from the survey are provided in Appendix C. Survey respondents, with some caveats, may be treated as a representative sample of the larger population of exhibition visitors.4 Thus, the findings of the survey are, subject to the limits of statistical inference imposed by the sample size, generalizable to the overall population of exhibition visitors.5 Qualitative Interviews The study team conducted 18 semi-structured interviews with 23 visitors in the Seeing Gertrude Stein galleries. This methodology is effective in probing visitor responses in depth, as it allows visitors to raise issues that are particularly salient to them and to discuss them in their own words at whatever length they wish. However, this methodology does not yield a representative sample of exhibition visitors. Interviewees were not chosen in a systematic fashion and no effort was made to encourage reticent visitors to participate. Findings presented in the qualitative section should be read as suggestive rather than representative of how visitors approached, interpreted, and responded to the exhibition. 1 Excluding visitors under 12 and organized groups. At busy moments, some exiting visitors were missed. Missed visitors were counted and weighted in the data analysis. 2 The exhibition had two entry/exit points; only one was covered per survey administration session. The exit covered alternated among sessions. 3 Each session lasted 90 minutes and was comprised of three 30-minute segments. 4 The chief caveat is the assumption that the visitor population at the times of the survey’s administration did not systematically differ from the visitor population over the course of the exhibition’s run. 5 For the sample size of 335, the 95 percent confidence interval for survey figures is ±5.35% or less, depending on the survey response in question. (The ±5.35% interval applies to a response figure of 50%; the confidence interval grows smaller as the figure in question approaches 0% or 100%.) 10 Visit Groups One-fifth of respondents (20%) were alone. The vast majority (80%) were accompanied by other adults and/or children. Sex About 61% of visitors were female and 39% were male, in line with past results for the Reynolds Center and art museums in general. Residence The vast majority of respondents were from the United States (93%). About 7% were residents of other countries. Half (50%) were residents of the Washington, D.C. metropolitan region. Age The mean age of visitors was 45 and the median age was 48—comparatively older than other NPG exhibitions studied by OP&A.7 By generation, visitation consisted of 31% Generations Y and Z (born 1982 and later); 19% Generation X (born 1965-1981); 18% Trailing Baby Boom (born 1956-1964); 20% Leading Baby Boom (born 1946-1955); and 13% World War II Generation (born before 1946). (Figure 1) Figure 1: Visitation by Generational Cohort 7 For example, the exit survey for Hide/Seek, conducted at around the same time of year in an adjacent gallery, indicated an average visitor age of 39 and a median age of 31. Generations Y and Z (Born 1982 and Later), 31% Generation X (Born 1965- 1981), 19% Trailing Edge Boomers (Born 1956-1964), 18% Leading Edge Boomers (Born 1946-1955), 20% World War II Generation (Born 1945 and before), 13% 11 To get a sense of how different age cohorts reacted to various aspects of Seeing Gertrude Stein, OP&A broke down the age distribution of visitors into three broad categories it has used in visitor studies at other Smithsonian museums, and which have proven more analytically tractable than the somewhat unwieldy structure of generational cohorts discussed in the previous paragraph. This approach divides visitors into three broad categories that we will call “younger” (under 30 years of age), “middle-aged” (30–50 years of age), and “older” (over 50 years of age). Exhibition-specific visitor status and age were directly and very strongly correlated. Among younger visitors, only 16% were exhibition-specific visitors, compared with 41% of middle-aged visitors and 62% of older visitors. As a result, the mean and median ages of exhibition-specific visitors were even higher than those of general visitors: 53 and 56, respectively. By any standard, the exhibition-specific visitor group for Seeing Gertrude Stein was an older demographic. Ratings Overall Experience Rating Exiting visitors were asked to rate their overall experience in the exhibition, using a five-point scale that has been applied by OP&A across Smithsonian exhibitions: poor, fair, good, excellent, and superior. In general, visitors who are critical of an exhibition, to one degree or another, select one of the lower three categories—poor, fair, or good. Those who are basically satisfied with their visit tend to mark excellent; for most Smithsonian exhibitions, the modal rating is excellent. Those who have very positive responses tend to mark superior. About a quarter of visitors to Seeing Gertrude Stein rated their overall experience in the lower three categories, although only fraction rated it in the lowest two categories: good (22%), fair (5%), poor (0%). More than half selected excellent (54%), and about one in five rated their experience superior (20%). (Figure 2) Figure 2: Overall Experience Rating 5% 22% 54% 20% 0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% Poor Fair Good Excellent Superior 12 Taking into account sample sizes and the resulting statistical uncertainties, these results are fairly typical for a Smithsonian exhibition. In terms of superior ratings, Seeing Gertrude Stein’s 20% is indistinguishable from the average superior rating of Smithsonian exhibitions studied by OP&A. However, the exhibition appeared to be slightly above average in the sense of a higher percentage of excellent ratings relative to good, fair, and poor. As is typically the case, exhibition-specific visitors were more likely to rate the exhibition superior (25%, vs. 14% for general visitors), and less likely to rate it in the lower categories of poor, fair, and good (11%, vs. 39% for general visitors). Cross-tabulations of overall satisfaction with the repeat-visitor and age variables superficially showed similar results. However, in these cases, the significance of any apparent differences disappeared when exhibition-specific visitor status was controlled for. In other words, with respect to overall rating, differences associated with repeat visitor status and age appear to be explained by the fact that repeat visitors and middle-aged/older visitors were more likely to be exhibition- specific visitors. Comparison with Other NPG Exhibitions Overall satisfaction ratings for recent NPG exhibitions studied by OP&A have tended to cluster together near the overall average for Smithsonian exhibitions, and Seeing Gertrude Stein was no exception. In terms of superior ratings, Seeing Gertrude Stein’s 20% is similar to the figures registered for Calder’s Portraits (20%), Hide/Seek (19%) and Americans Now (18%); lower than the figure for Elvis at 21 (27%); and higher than the figure for Capital Portraits (9%). Conversely, when looking at the lower ratings of poor, fair, and good, Seeing Gertrude Stein, at 26%, did about as well as Calder’s Portraits (28%), Americans Now (29%), and Hide/Seek (31%); better than Capital Portraits (38%); and less well than Elvis at 21 (17%). (Figure 3, next page) Individual Exhibition Aspects In addition to asking visitors to rate their overall experience in Seeing Gertrude Stein, the questionnaire asked them to rate, on the same five-point scale, three specific aspects of the exhibition: design/layout, artworks, and theme. In terms of the distribution of responses among superior, excellent, good, fair, and poor, ratings for all three of these aspects roughly tracked the overall exhibition rating.8 Therefore, it does not 8 In comparison with the overall rating, the design rating was slightly worse in the sense of a higher proportion of low (poor+fair+good) ratings (36%), and the theme rating was slightly better in the sense of a higher proportion of superior ratings (26%). However, these differences did not appear to be large enough to be of practical significance in “explaining” the overall rating. 15 Figure 5: Satisfying Experiences in Seeing Gertrude Stein Exhibition-specific visitors were slightly more likely to select “Seeing rare, valuable, or uncommon things” (41%, versus 30% for general visitors). This was the only experience for which the responses of exhibition-specific visitors diverged from those of general visitors. Selecting certain experiences was associated with a higher likelihood of rating the exhibition superior. Although the object experience of “Being moved by beauty” was not commonly chosen, those who did select it were more likely to rate the exhibition superior (33%) than those who did not (18%). The same was true of visitors who selected the other object experience, “Seeing rare, valuable, or uncommon things,” with 28% rating the exhibition superior, versus 16% of those who did not select this experience. This pattern also emerged with the experience of “Gaining information”—24% of those who chose this experience rated the exhibition superior, against 10% of those who did not. After controlling for exhibition-specific visitor status, a positive relationship was found between age and the experience of “Enriching my understanding” for general visitors, but not exhibition- specific visitors. Younger and middle-aged general visitors were considerably less likely to choose this experience (58% and 51%, respectively) than older general visitors (77%). However, it should be noted that even among younger and middle-aged general visitors, the likelihood of selecting this experience was high in comparison with other NPG exhibitions studied by OP&A. 6% 13% 22% 27% 31% 35% 66% 67% 0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% Recalling personal memories Being moved by beauty Feeling an emotional connection Reflecting on the meaning of what I saw Getting a sense of the everyday lives of others Seeing rare, valuable, or uncommon things Gaining information Enriching my understanding 16 Interests within the Exhibition Visitors were asked which kinds of artworks and other elements of the exhibition they found very, somewhat, and not at all interesting. Most of the suggested elements were deemed very interesting by two-thirds of respondents or more: “Photographic portraits of Gertrude Stein” (72%), “Wall and label texts” (68%), “Drawn and painted portraits of Gertrude Stein” (67%), and “Historical and contextual photographs” (66%). Of slightly less interest to visitors were the “Sculptural portraits of Gertrude Stein” (50%, very interesting). The only elements that were deemed very interesting by less than half of respondents were “Artifacts (clothing, jewelry, newspapers, etc.)” (46%) and “Audio and video elements” (35%). (Figure 6) Exhibition-specific visitors were more likely than general visitors to say they were very interested in most of the exhibition elements about which the questionnaire asked. The only exceptions were the “Sculptural portraits of Gertrude Stein” and “Historical and contextual photographs.”10 Figure 6: How Interested Were You in the Following Exhibition Components? 10 In the case of the latter, the obtained chi-square figure for the cross-tabulation was on the borderline of statistical significance (0.064). 12% 9% 7% 4% 4% 3% 2% 43% 41% 43% 27% 28% 27% 24% 35% 46% 50% 66% 67% 68% 72% 0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% Audio and video elements Artifacts (clothing, jewelry, etc.) Sculptural portraits of Stein Other (historical/contextual) photographs Drawn and painted portraits of Stein Wall texts and labels Photographic portraits of Stein Very Somewhat Not at all 17 After controlling for exhibition specificity, a positive relationship was found between age and interest in the photographic elements of the exhibition (“Photographic portraits of Gertrude Stein” and “Historical and contextual photographs”) among exhibition-specific visitors, but not among general visitors. Among younger exhibition-specific visitors, 53% indicated they were very interested in “Photographic portraits of Gertrude Stein,” compared with 62% of middle-aged exhibition-specific visitors and fully 95% of older exhibition-specific visitors. The pattern of responses for “Historical and contextual photographs” was similar if a bit less extreme: 47% of younger exhibition-specific visitors said they were very interested in this element, compared to 64% of middle-aged exhibition-specific visitors and 81% of older exhibition-specific visitors. Portrait Gallery-Specific Interests On the two NPG surveys prior to this one (for Capital Portraits and Calder’s Portraits), OP&A piloted a question focused on experiences that visitors might specifically expect in NPG exhibitions, as opposed to any museum exhibition. The question posed was: “For you, which of the following were highlights of this exhibition?” The suggested answers reflected goals for the visitor experience that NPG has laid out in its strategic plan: “Exploring portraiture as an art form,” “Exploring portraiture as visual biography,” “Seeing influential Americans,” “Appreciating the diversity of the United States and its people,” “Reflecting on American identity,” and “Delving into the American experience.” Analysis of responses suggested that the question in its initial form was poorly formulated. The question and answer choices were substantially revised for this survey, to focus on interests rather than experiences. The new question was phrased: “In the context of the National Portrait Gallery in general, how interested are you in the following?” The answer choices were “Art”; “History”; “Biography”; “Images of America’s human diversity”; and “Images of influential and/or famous Americans,” each of which visitors were asked to rate on a three-point scale of very, somewhat, and not at all interested. Visitors’ interest in all of these suggested areas was quite high. In no case did more than a negligible 4% of respondents say they were not at all interested, and in all cases large majorities indicated they were very interested—ranging from 62% very interested in “Images of influential and/or famous Americans” to 79% very interested in portraiture as “Art” (Figure 7, next page). The median number of areas in which visitors said they were very interested was four (out of five). 20 Qualitative Findings Qualitative interviews for Seeing Gertrude Stein were conducted during January 2012. Eighteen interviews were conducted with 23 interviewees (eight males and fifteen females), ranging in age from about 20 to 70, with the majority of interviewees toward the older end of this range.12 On a whole, interviewees enjoyed the exhibition and had many insightful comments about their experience in it. Several interviewees had spent over an hour in the exhibition, and a few had spent close to two hours. General comments on overall impressions of the exhibition include the following: This is the most complete [picture] that I have seen of her life and influence. ***** I heard about it from a friend. She has seen it three times. She doesn’t particularly like Gertrude Stein, but she thinks that the exhibit and what it displays of a life are just amazing. She thought it was amazingly well put together, with all the multiple perspectives. So she told me it was such an amazing exhibit, and I had to come to look at the beautiful way they assimilated so many aspects of [Stein’s] life. ***** I love to go to a show on an artist that gives you a sense of the human being in all [her] dimensions, and how [she] developed over the course of [her] career—how [her] art evolved. The presentation was very clear, and the depth and the insight that I got into the life of Gertrude Stein were really amazing. ***** It was great. I took my time and I thoroughly enjoyed it. I read and saw almost everything, which is awesome to do. Usually I breeze through [an exhibition], but I knew I wanted to take my time on this one. It was really well done. Content Level /Accessibility In terms of their familiarity with the exhibition’s subject, interviewees ranged from those who had little previous knowledge of Stein to those who were well-informed about all aspects of her life and 12 In most cases, age was estimated rather than provided by interviewees. 21 work. The exhibition appeared to be accessible and engaging to interviewees regardless of their previous acquaintance with its subject. Most indicated that they learned something new about Stein and her times from the exhibition. In the case of those who were already well-acquainted with Stein, several mentioned that the exhibition filled in gaps in their knowledge: It filled in all the gaps for me. I don’t know that I have learned anything strikingly new, but I am certainly going to leave here with a more comprehensive picture of her and her influence than I had when I arrived. ***** You hear [Stein’s] name all the time, but you don’t necessarily know a lot about her, and this has filled in the gaps. That’s what my friend said—that this filled in a lot of the gaps for her. Perception/Classification The way in which interviewees perceived the focus of the exhibition (as art, biography, and/or history) varied. Several indicated that they had expected primarily an art show, and were pleasantly surprised to find rich biographical and historical content surrounding the art. Indeed, some appeared to be more engaged by the contextual material than by the art itself: [I see this show as about the] history more than the actual artwork. It is the history of really pretty extraordinary people, artists who had an extraordinary eye. … She brought so many people together and they inspired each other. ***** Those associations [with artists] are what make her who she is. Of course we expect to see art, … but we were [also] expecting it to be a show about who she knew, her lifestyle, and her associations. So this is exactly what we were expecting. And very well done, too. ***** There are only so many portraits you can look at before they all start to blend together. You know—a bunch of faces. But [I liked] seeing [the contextual] stuff … along with the portraits. I feel it creates a better experience. 22 Layout and Presentation Order The exhibition displays were designed to be seen in a set, roughly chronological order, although the configuration of the exhibition space—a central corridor with six rooms off of it—made it impossible to literally set up a linear path through the show. Rather, each thematic space (“Story”), including the corridor, was labeled with a number (1-5) and a descriptive title. Both entrances included an explanation of this organization and a map with the layout of the rooms. Most interviewees chose to follow the numbered order of the rooms, and indicated that this helped them to organize in their own minds the vast amount of material on display: I think the organization of the show is really quite ingenious—to have divided it up in terms of her personal life, her influence, her circle, and so forth. I think that’s quite illuminating. … It presents a picture of the whole person, and in the case of a person like Stein, I think that’s critical, because her influence was so varied and so vast and so enduring. ***** I love this chronology. That was great. It was nice that you have [the exhibition layout plan at both ends of the exhibition], because I’m sure it gets very crowded some days. ***** I like order. I like having [it organized] clearly—like, this is what we are talking about in this section, and that is what we are talking about in that section. … I like it where I can trace where the heck I am going[.] Some interviewees even suggested it might be difficult to make sense of everything on display in exhibition if one did not note the organizational structure: It was presented very well … [with] the multiple perspectives that they talked about. … But if you didn’t stop and read [the introductory material] when you came in, it might have been a little confusing. It was well labeled, but you did not have the context if you did not read that. ***** It was compartmentalized, so you know which phases you’re dealing with. … I think it was really important that you read that first piece when you came to the exhibit, so you saw the different stories, in order to appreciate it correctly. To see the evolution, you needed to follow the [recommended path.] 25 To hear her reading from her work is a high point. We heard it as we’re going through [other parts of the exhibition] and we knew somewhere something was going to happen. That’s an amazing room. Other favorites frequently mentioned were Stein’s personal artifacts (clothing, jewelry, scarves, and so on). The vest on display in “Domestic Stein” was singled out for comment by several interviewees: I really appreciated seeing Stein’s clothes that Alice made, because that was really a part of her personification and [their] relationship. … It is one thing to look at [the vest] in the picture, but [it makes more of an impression] to actually see it and how big it actually was. The fabric selections, I think, were very important to her and to Alice. ***** She definitely had her own sense of fashion that made her stand out as an individual. … I do not know that vests on women at the time were especially popular. … Seeing something from the early 20th century that was considered non-traditional was really cool. ***** I loved seeing her vests and how she dressed as a lesbian who identified with the mannish side of a lesbian couple; it seemed that Alice was the more feminine side. Themes When asked about underlying themes or messages they saw in the exhibition, interviewees suggested several possibilities: the juxtaposition of Stein’s personal story with the historical times in which she lived; Stein’s unusually multifaceted character; her role as a cultural trend-setter (particularly living openly in a same-sex partnership); and her relationships with other artists. Historical Context One aspect of the exhibition that many interviewees appreciated was the historical context provided in each Story. A few commented that the historical context was a kind of immersive experience; others found it enlightening just to have the chance to fit the various parts of Stein’s life into the larger historical landscape. Interviewees indicated both that this the historical perspective helped them better understand Stein’s life, and, conversely that the focus on Stein’s life gave them a unique perspective on the history through which she lived. I was struck by the significance of the times in which she lived. The exhibition made me feel like I was immersed in those times. 26 ***** It didn’t initially click for me that she was in Europe during the Holocaust and was Jewish. … Clearly, she had a picture of herself as very capable—I would have run for home! But with her personal strength, she was able to make personal contacts that got her through it. It says a great deal about her ability, and perhaps Alice’s too, to find the support that was necessary. Others left; she did not. ***** We were talking about how the world must have been in that time. You get this [view into] what seems like a magical world that was created around Gertrude Stein and her personality. … I lived in Paris for four years myself, and I am interested in that period in history, and all the artists she supported and nurtured and collaborated with. It was just an extraordinary period in the history of art and the development of art. ***** It kind of gives you an entryway into the time and place[.] You get to see the era through a lens of a certain person’s experience. I think that is really valuable. ***** I find that when you concentrate on one person … you can put things into perspective and follow it along. … You hear about a lot of these artists here and there, [but this exhibition] puts it all together, and it’s wonderful. Multifaceted Character The introductory text at the exhibition entrance stressed the contradictions within Stein’s personality—for example, her paradoxical commitments to literary experimentation and to conservative politics. Interviewees picked up on this theme of Stein’s multifaceted character as one clue to the general fascination with her, both in her own day and in ours. I think the theme might be how we Americans perceive Gertrude Stein in five different ways. … I love that they broke it up into parts. That gave us more clarity about the celebrity side of her [and] the domestic side. … She was a very complex woman. ***** 27 The presentation was like a Picasso sculpture, in the sense that it looked at the subject from a number of different perspectives all at once, and in the process gave us deeper understanding of that subject. ***** In this exhibit, you get so many angles on this one person. Many different roles. I thought that was beautifully done. It was very significant, because lives are like that. You caught that in this one famous person’s life, and displayed it. Cultural Trend-Setting The complexity of Stein’s personality was reflected in range of areas to which she made lasting contributions—not only as a writer and as an artistic muse, but also as a larger-than-life cultural trend-setter who was ahead of her time in some ways, particularly with regard to her open homosexuality. A few interviewees commented on the exhibition’s portrayal of this aspect of her influence: She flaunted her lesbianism at a time when it was not that fashionable to do, and she surrounded herself with homosexuals. ***** It’s interesting to see what a powerful figure she must have been—leading the way, especially for homosexuals in the last century. ***** She was so ahead of her time in so many aspects of life. … She cut her hair short back in the 1920s, she had a female partner, and so forth. ***** She was doing all of these things that maybe now we have come to see as normal, but [she was doing them] in Europe, a hundred years ago. She’s living this lifestyle that is really on the edge, but she is doing so very comfortably. Yet at the same time, comments on the exhibition’s treatment of the relationship between Stein and Toklas generally focused on the more prosaic aspects of their domestic partnership: cooking, fashion, home décor, spousal roles (Stein as the voluble public face of the partnership, and Toklas as 30 I would say that everyone who was involved in all aspects of this show did a really great job. I loved all the signage, all the explanations. The only thing is that at every exhibition, I would like to see an explanation of how it was put together, from beginning to end. How they brought the works in and were transported, etc. Several interviewees commented that Seeing Gertrude Stein inspired them to want to read or re- read Stein’s works. It even inspired one couple to want to visit Stein’s house: It’s made us interested, on our next trip to France, to see the house in the southeastern part of France [where Stein and Toklas lived], to see if it still exists and whether it’s been converted to some kind of memorial or foundation. And her residences in Paris would be interesting to see. One interviewee drew a contrast between the focus in Seeing Gertrude Stein on a single figure of interest, and a contrasting approach taken in an adjacent exhibition: I like it if there’s a balance [between exhibitions that focus on a single individual and those that have a broader focus]. It is very interesting in these two [adjacent exhibitions.] [In Seeing Gertrude Stein,] you have one life’s struggle with people and events. Then right next to it, you have [an exhibition on] contemporary black Americans [The Black List] who have achieved great things. [One is] specific, and [one] is very broad. I like the point and counterpoint. Several interviewees mentioned that their interest in Gertrude Stein had been recently rekindled because of the appearance of Stein as a character in the Woody Allen movie Midnight in Paris, released in June 2011. They seemed to find it intriguing to compare Kathy Bates’s performance with the real Gertrude as portrayed in the exhibition. I have always been very interested in learning more about [Stein, although] I haven’t read any of her books. And the recent movie Midnight in Paris spurred my interest again. ***** I was just thinking about the movie Midnight in Paris, which featured Gertrude Stein and that gathering of people in her living room. I don’t suppose they timed the exhibition to coincide with that movie, but I think that movie did raise a lot of people’s interest in her. ***** I have always been fascinated by her life. It seemed to me that [Gertrude and Alice] lived in a fairy tale. They had a lot of money and they were always traveling, and with wonderful people. I thought that was fabulous. This film Midnight in Paris by Woody Allen just brought it all back. 31 Discussion Overall, Seeing Gertrude Stein can be judged a successful show on several counts, perhaps above all in the skill and depth with which it combined the personal narrative of an intriguing historical figure with the times and trends through which she lived, and to which she contributed. Both the qualitative and quantitative analyses suggest that visitors had positive reactions to the exhibition’s design and layout, art works and artifacts, and themes, as well as to the basic approach of presenting one fascinating life within a rich historical context. Seeing Gertrude Stein appeared to appeal above all to an older demographic. This is not to say that younger visitors who visited the exhibition were less satisfied with it; on the survey, no age-related differences were found in overall satisfaction after controlling for exhibition-specific status. However, in terms of who it drew to NPG as exhibition-specific visitors and whose attention it caught among general visitors, Seeing Gertrude Stein disproportionately attracted older audiences.17 Although some visitors undoubtedly found Seeing Gertrude Stein highly engaging on a personal and emotional level, survey results suggest that the exhibition succeeded above all as a learning experience in the broadest sense of the term. The proportion of visitors who marked “Enriching my understanding” and “Gaining information” as memorable experiences were extremely high in comparison with other NPG exhibitions studied by OP&A. Comments from interviewees provide a richer picture of the kind of learning that took place in Seeing Gertrude Stein. A key factor for many seemed to be the exhibition’s juxtaposition of an intimate portrayal of Stein’s complex personal life, artistic pursuits, and personality with the larger story of the historical era in which she lived—an era marked by dramatic artistic ferment and by wrenching geopolitical conflict. The story told in Seeing Gertrude Stein thus not only served to increase visitors’ understanding of a noted historical figure, but offered a unique perspective on the social and cultural upheavals she experienced at first hand. Those who were particularly interested in biography as a subject were more likely to rate the exhibition superior. When coupled with the many comments from qualitative interviews alluding to the multiple, engaging perspectives on Stein and her times offered by the exhibition, it is reasonable to conclude that Seeing Gertrude Stein succeeded as an exemplar of the genre of “visual biography” to which the recent NPG strategic plan alludes. 17 The former conclusion was directly demonstrated by the survey data; the latter can be inferred from the high mean and median ages of visitors as a whole. The generally older demographics of the exhibition’s visitors were also anecdotally noted by the OP&A study team, both while administering surveys and when conducting interviews. 32 A finding that was unrelated to the exhibition itself, but which may be of interest from the perspective of NPG as a whole was that younger visitors to Seeing Gertrude Stein were less interested in both portraiture-as-art and portraiture-as-history than were middle-aged and older visitors. Until confirmed by subsequent surveys, this finding needs to be regarded with some care. If confirmed, however, its implications are unclear but potentially far-reaching, particularly in terms of strategies for drawing younger generations of visitors to NPG. 35 Appendix B: Frequency of Responses Is this your first visit to this building, the Donald W. Reynolds Center? Yes 44% No 56% Did you come to this building today specifically to see this exhibition? Yes 43% No 57% Overall experience in Seeing Gertrude Stein Superior 20% Excellent 54% Good 22% Fair 5% Poor 0% 36 Satisfying experiences in Seeing Gertrude Stein Being moved by beauty 13% Feeling an emotional connection 22% Enriching my understanding 67% Gaining information 66% Getting a sense of the everyday lives of others 31% Recalling personal memories 6% Reflecting on the meaning of what I saw 27% Seeing rare, valuable or uncommon things 35% Did you proceed through the five “stories” in the numbered order? Yes 46% No 36% Not sure/Did not notice the numbered order 18% Please rate the following individual elements of this exhibition Design/Layout Superior 17% Excellent 47% Good 32% Fair 4% Poor 0% 37 Artworks Superior 23% Excellent 50% Good 23% Fair 4% Poor 0% Theme Superior 26% Excellent 46% Good 23% Fair 5% Poor 0% In this exhibition, how interested were you in the following? Very Somewhat Not at all Did not notice Drawn and painted portraits of Gertrude Stein 67% 28% 4% 1% Sculptural portraits of Gertrude Stein 50% 43% 7% 1% Photographic portraits of Gertrude Stein 72% 24% 2% 1% Other (historical and contextual) photographs 66% 27% 4% 4% Wall and label texts 68% 27% 3% 3% Artifacts (clothing, jewelry, newspapers, etc.) 46% 41% 9% 4% Audio and video elements 35% 43% 12% 10% 40 Out of town visitor Interest in 1920–30s General interest (historical) Wanted to learn more about Stein Past experience with Stein’s work, life, etc. My friend's interest in Gertrude Stein A friend, a writer [recommended it;] inspired by G.S. Gertrude Content; origination of personal history/ trajectory I followed the American Presidents Thought it might be intense Name recognition, but I wanted to know more She was an interesting woman Washington Post article about the exhibit It was highly recommended by a friend who saw it recently, and I had read a review of it in the paper. Ultimately, I'm interested in the life of Gertrude Stein, so the two recommendations guided me here. Saw “The Stein" in San Francisco Literature [of the] Lost Generation I'm familiar with Stein, had heard good things about the exhibit. The reputation of G.S. Interest in F. Rose, Feral Benga Prints/photos by Beaton Preview in Washington Post This is so complete, high-quality, and well- done Stein's literary work and [the] photographic aspect of exhibit Interested in G.S. after reading The Paris Wife Reading Monique Truong's Book of Salt Interest in seeing images related to G.S. To increase my knowledge of the life of G.S. Interest in G.S.—this is my second visit to the exhibit I'm a critic and I [wrote] on G.S. I know rather a lot about G.S.’s published work and about her I have heard a lot about G.S. Fascinated with G.S. G.S work and the preservation of her [life] Interest in her relationship with Picasso Love G.S Reputation of exhibit Gerty Gerty Stein Stein is back back home home back Exhibit introduction and the entrance 41 Her life and life stage Learning about the life of an American artist The subject and presentation I’m a big fan of G.S. and wanted to see the exhibit I’m curious about G.S.'s life Closing soon—was here last week but ran out of Stein Knowing about the history of G.S. Mouse trap Gay Website Famous name—knew nothing about her She was famous, but I know little about her 42 What was your favorite portrait, artifact, or display in this exhibition, and why? Red Grooms Poem text on the wall. Would have liked much more about her work as a writer; relationships with Hemingway and Fitzgerald; book store in Paris. Enjoyed photographs in Story 2 the most New Yorker cartoons The terra cotta sculpture of Stein by Jo Davidson The old photos and sculpture as a group— they are wonderful One Portrait of One Woman by Marsden Hartley David Levine and Red Grooms—Amazing [work] The quotes showing her life Small portrait of Alice B. Photography of Gertrude and her girlfriend Fabulous photos of Stein and Toklas, sculpture and paintings of Stein Andy Warhol pop-art piece Generally the pictures of Gertrude and her girlfriend Warhol—could connect with [it] Photographs of Gertrude and Alice The display on Stein's home life Devorah Sperber’s spools of thread recreation of Pablo Picasso’s Stein portrait Clothes Gertrude Stein by Man Ray Many of the photographs, esp. later life; also seeing her clothing Stein's home Gertrude Stein’s silk twill scarf Love, love, love: [homage?] to Gertrude Stein; it appealed to me One Portrait of One Woman; it showed bright colors Gertrude Stein silk twill scarf, because it's beautiful One Portrait of One Woman because it is something that encourages someone Portraits Paste jewelry mounted in tarnished silver Image of Stein eating with troops in war video presentation Haven’t finished visiting yet The spindle art piece All photographs of Gertrude, her poem 45 G.S. and Alice by S.S. Chemplain—graceful Vests Quote "When you see this, remember me" “Rose is a rose is a rose”—today I understood its meaning Her life with Alice The terra-cotta sculpture of Stein by Jo Davidson and voice recording—spectacular lighting Time magazine article—reflection on how long it has been … I loved the exhibit—couldn’t choose one A photo: “Gertrude Stein, Bilignin” by George Platt Lynes G.S. with partner All the photographs, esp. Story #2— “Domestic Stein” Picasso’s painting of Toklas The one with the crest over her shoulder Photos of G.S. and Alice—seeing what their lives looked like Story #2—“Domestic Stein,” because I like their relationship best The portrait of G.S. and A.T. with their dogs Showed who G.S. was Stein in Balmain suit The spool one; video image; book she wrote Her and the poodle walking down the street The one on display in Story #5 World War II history, auctions, newspapers, paintings / Picasso After Picasso by Devorah Sperber GS photographed with her Picasso portrait, because it emphasized how much she was proud of it, and of Pablo. House in a rural France She seems to be an exhibitionist Picasso portraits, Life magazine The portrait that showed her "self love," because it seemed to capture the essence of her Picasso with Poodle The vest—it's personal; made me feel closer 46 Did you find anything surprising or unexpected in this exhibition? Collaboration with Virgil Thomson and Stein’s monumental egoism Stein's reading of her textual portraits of Picasso and Matisse I didn’t know about the home in the south of France Not really. I had learned a lot from the Paris exhibit of the Stein collection Images Gertrude's friend with Virgil Thomson How much I learned about them No background on family to provide context Relationship of Picasso and Gertrude Open discussion of sexuality/ sex preference Her voice Devorah Sperber’s spools of thread recreation of Pablo Picasso’s Stein portrait I found interesting artifacts The elements in the illustrations and how they differed I thought one portrait of her was a man How the paintings are painted Group of male homosexuals, many literary The rapidity with which I connected emotionally with G. Stein and [her] partner Nice collection of photographs I didn’t know anything about Gertrude Stein, so everything was interesting I was not familiar [with her popularity] before this exhibition Very entertaining, art work is very comedic in Story #5 I'd never known or heard about her, so everything was surprising Learned quite a few things that I didn’t know The range of her activity She was an outspoken lesbian (for her time) To hear her voice, to see her clothes, to learn A.B. Toklas sold her Picassos She was large but gentle, a beautiful soul Comprehensive portraits of friendships How much information was provided Her rags to riches story Amount of info on Alice Didn’t know who she was Hadn’t seen images of the Rue Catherine apartment or Billignin. The paintings that included Pepe! That Stein supported the Vichy government, and the extent of her self-promotion throughout her life 47 The self-fashioning The basket one I knew very little about her. It was all unexpected. Her fame We found her activities to be very diverse Stein’s widespread popularity in her later life Breadth of her influence and fame Element of opera Little info on her money, how she met Alice, or falling-out with her brother Wanted to know more about family life and wealth—father’s work Her clothing More info about Gertrude's life than I previously knew Her reading of her work The video of her operas being performed Her personal art collection/ her power in the world I was surprised to learn that given her name and fame, the Germans didn’t capture her during World War II That she was so popular with regular people and soldiers. After the war aid to GIs [Wanted to know] what the source of her income was [and] how she avoided deportation in Vichy. Her access to artists / talent Lots of her portraits and sculptures Andy Warhol pop art piece Not really. I already knew a lot about Stein and her life. I didn’t know much about her before arriving The poetry being read to me while I was reading the poetry on the wall Unaware of libretto authors Hurst photos The whole exhibit— I didn’t know it was here. I had about an hour and spent most of it here! I wasn’t aware of many of Stein's accomplishments Quite a bit; was not aware of Stein's earlier years and associations Everything Personal artifacts (wall paper, clothing, and jewelry) How many pictures were taken/ made of her Language of her writing Loved her fiancé, two Jewish women during World War II