Survey provides insight on Sculpture in the Wild

A survey funded by the Montana Office of Tourism and Business Development gathered insights last fall into the demographics, local spending and perception of Blackfoot Pathways: Sculpture in the Wild by out-of-area visitors.

The survey, developed by the University of Montana's Institute for Tourism and Recreation Research and administered by BPSW Board members and volunteers during the artist residency in September, surveyed 397 sculpture park guests. It provides some of the first statistical data regarding sculpture park visitors and their spending as well as their reactions to the sculpture park and its related events.

"We did try to talk to almost everybody who came in," said Gary Moseman, a BPSW board member who conducted many of the surveys. "We were only doing it for a week or two...and only doing it during 'business hours,' but they do keep coming all evening in the summer. I think it was a good representative sample."

According to the ITRR study of the survey, the information shows that BPSW visitors "make important economic contributions to the Lincoln area and should help with future planning for the Sculpture in in the Wild.

"We're looking for where people are from, why they're there. Is it a destination place?" said Becky Garland, president of Blackfoot Pathways: Sculpture in the Wild. "The Chamber of Commerce would enjoy seeing what we came up with. I think our funders, the people who are helping us with this ... I think there's going to be a lot of reasons why this is good (information)."

Artistic Director Kevin O'Dwyer told the BVD that the September and October timeframe, when the BPSW residency is held each year, is also of interest to Montana Tourism, which is working to bolster 'grey hair' tourism among empty nesters and retirees who have time to explore alternative events during that time of year.

"Our survey showed that a majority of our visitors during the three weeks were this particular group," O'Dwyer said. Most people surveyed ranged in age from 55-74.

Although Montana Tourism and ITRR are focused primarily on non-resident travel in the state, most of the people surveyed at the sculpture park - 67 percent - were Montana residents from outside the Lincoln area, primarily from Helena, Missoula and Great Falls. Twenty-six percent of those surveyed came from out of state, with visitors from Washington, Oregon and California topping the list. Just three percent of respondents were international visitors.

O'Dwyer, while he didn't administer surveys, did talk to visitors directly for their reactions and found a similar mix.

"One day there were visitors from 10 States and three countries," he told the BVD. "Plenty of positive feedback and most of them were looking for recommendations for places to have lunch in Lincoln."

Meals represented most of the money spent locally by those who took the survey, which asked them to estimate their spending in Lincoln during their visit. The total local expenditures of the 397 people amounted to an estimated $36, 633, with the majority of that – just over $9000 – spent at Lincoln's bars and restaurants.

In terms of dollars spent, gas and lodging rounded out the top three categories.

Shopping for retail goods and groceries and snacks was also strong. Taken as separate categories, they accounted for less spending, but together they actually outpaced lodging.

Though lodging accounted for a significant amount of money reportedly spent in the community, the majority of respondents - 71 percent – didn't spend a night in Lincoln. Among those who did, nearly half stayed with friends or relatives, or at a second home.

By October, Sculpture in the Wild's visitor counter had recorded about 30,000 visits, but O'Dwyer's not certain how much the economic data can be extrapolated across the entire year.

"The visitor count into the park includes multiple visits from Lincoln area visitors, school groups, etc.," he explained. "But the survey does show that additional income is being generated because you have a unique Art/Cultural Destination within the community."

However, Garland said she hopes the survey will provide some insights since most of the people who visited during the residency tended to be single-day visitors, which is generally reflective of how people from outside the area visit the park throughout the year.

The survey also provided feedback on what guests did and did not like about Sculpture in the Wild.

While the clear majority of people surveyed were overwhelmingly positive – 99 percent said they were 'satisfied' or 'very satisfied' with BPSW – comments regarding dislikes or suggested improvements highlighted a few shortcomings, including one person's tongue-in-cheek request for 'More sharks!"

An issue mentioned several times was the vault toilets. Some people complained about the smell, while others were put off by the barrel locks on the outside of the doors.

Other comments focused on the actual pathways construction, which can cause difficulty for some types of wheelchairs and strollers.

Garland and Moseman both said the board will need to discuss options for making golf carts or scooters with improved mobility available for handicapped visitors.

Signage proved to be another significant concern, one O'dwyer plans to keep working on.

"I do believe we need additional 'destination signage' for the park along the roads, especially at the T-junction when coming from Helena, and signage (near)Great Falls or Missoula," he said.

There are signs installed along Highway 200 near the entrance, but their visibility seemed to be an issue. There is one feature that has helped, however.

"The visitors who did not know about the sculpture park when passing were pulled in by Jaakko's iconic Gateway," O'Dwyer said.

Improved advertising seemed to top the list of suggestions, however.

One commenter noted that many people in Helena don't know about Sculpture in the Wild, while another suggested more advertising for the BPSW events in Missoula. More outreach to the Montana art community and to the community of Lincoln was also suggested.

Reaching beyond the state may prove to be more of a challenge, but Garland said they will do their best to expand their reach. She said the BPSW hasn't had a big line item for advertising, but has instead relied primarily on word of mouth. "Most people have heard about it by their friends, or on the news, and the cool little clips people have done on us."

O'Dwyer hopes the information from the survey will also help build additional support within the Lincoln business community, and that they will capitalize on it and help BPSW fund promotion and advertising within the state.

"We hope to distribute 10,000-20,000 information flyers this coming year in the Southwest Montana Tourism area," he said.

Garland and O'Dwyer said they plan to work with ITRR to conduct another survey next summer, possibly in August. BPSW has a summer concert series planned for that time frame, and it should help provide information on visits outside the annual residency.