An art therapy study of visitor reactions to the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum

Abstract

This paper describes a collaborative research partnership between museum educators and art therapists. Twenty-two visitors at the US Holocaust Memorial Museum were randomly assigned to either a control group or an experimental group based on an art therapy informed protocol. All participants visited the first two floors of the permanent exhibition, Nazi Assault (opening floor) and The ‘Final Solution’ (middle floor). Those in the experimental group created art based on their emotional response to the exhibition contents, engaged in reflective writing and participated in a discussion group. Participants indicated that this process allowed for consolidation and understanding, catharsis, and relational sharing and learning. The experimental group experienced significant increases in immediate empathy and their emotional response was sustained at 2, 7, and 12 months. Experimental group participants were also more likely to share with family and friends complex reflections about different aspects of their museum visit, rather than solely their distress or historical information. There was no change in the levels of these visitors' engagement in social action and political activities. The findings suggest an innovative and effective approach to increasing empathy among museum visitors and to sustaining the impact of a museum visit.

Keywords:

• art therapy
• museum education
• museum studies
• empathy
• Holocaust
• social action

Acknowledgment

The authors would like to thank John Lorance and Phyllis Lo for their assistance with statistical analysis, Tamara Weiner for assistance in data collection, and the staff of the USHMM.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Notes on contributors

Donna J. Betts, Ph.D., ATR-BC, is an Assistant Professor of Art Therapy at The George Washington University, and is President-Elect of the American Art Therapy Association. In addition to her interest in applications of art therapy in museum and community settings, Donna's research ranges from art therapy assessment with clinical populations, to computer-based graphic novel authoring for military service members coping with symptoms of PTSD.

Jordan S. Potash, Ph.D., ATR-BC, is a Visiting Assistant Professor in the Graduate Art Therapy Program at The George Washington University and Honorary Assistant Professor with the Centre on Behavioral Health at The University of Hong Kong. His research interests are focused on the application of art therapy as a means of promoting empathy for discrimination reduction and social change. Jordan has held numerous leadership positions within the American Art Therapy Association, and currently serves as Chair of the Ethics Committee.

Jessica J. Luke, Ph.D., is a Senior Lecturer in the Museology Graduate Program at The University of Washington. She was formerly the Director of Research & Evaluation at the Institute for Learning Innovation (ILI), a nonprofit organization dedicated to understanding, facilitating, and communicating about informal learning. She was also an adjunct faculty member in the Museum Studies Program at George Washington University. Jessica currently serves on the Board of Directors of the Visitor Studies Association.

Michelle Kelso, Ph.D., is an Assistant Professor of Human Services, Sociology and International Affairs at The George Washington University. Her interests span from collective memory and education, to aging and beauty, to discover the personal constructions of identity. From 2008–09, Michelle was a Charles H. Revson Foundation Fellow at the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum, where she conducted her dissertation research on the Romani experience in Romanian-run camps in occupied Soviet Union, and contemporary views in Romania of Roma as Holocaust victims.