While creating a new Strategic Plan, the MWC commissioned a survey of the opinions of Mesa County voters. A professional polling company conducted the survey and received sufficient responses to generate some very reliable and significant results.
We discovered that local residents hold the Museums in very high esteem. A series of questions asked if the respondent felt the MWC did a good job in areas including heritage preservation, education, culture, and economic development. The responses were tremendously affirming and I am pleased to share some of the data with you.
Economic Growth: Nationwide, many people don’t initially think of museums as part the economy, so I was very pleased that 60% of respondents agreed that the MWC brought “Economic Growth” while 33% were either unsure or did not know.
Culture: Regarding “Culture,” 85% agreed that the museum was very important in this category. Only 2% did not think the MWC contributed to culture.
Education: 89% felt the museum was an educational asset to the community and no respondents disagreed with this statement.
Heritage: Finally, an overwhelming 96% of respondents answered yes to the question “Does the MWC preserve and document the history and heritage of Western Colorado?” The remaining 4% did not mark that they disagreed, but that they were unsure or did not know.
This is incredible. It is a wonderful testament to the great jobs volunteers, staff, and board members have done in the past and what we are continuing to do today. It also a tremendous sign of support for the MWC and what it does for the community.
Peter MacMillan Booth, Ph.D.
Executive Director, Museums of Western Colorado