Methodology
The focus of Countess.Report data collection is the production of our quadannrial Reports where the primary purpose is to quantify the representation of women and non-binary artists in exhibitions and public collections at museums and galleries across Australia over a twelve month period.
We access this information from the public websites and annual reports of museum and galleries, and in the case of State Museums and Galleries we directly request the data. The information Countess.Report are collating is familiar to us all on museum wall labels - where both the artworks history and the artists identity are communicated didactically.
Each line of data we collect represents each artist exhibited in a specific organisation, in a specific exhibition, at a specific time. Gender is then identified through the named artists professional website and/or gallery or media. Organisational structures surrounding the exhibition of the artists work such as Directors, Boards and Curators names and gender are also recorded. In some data sets we extend our research to obtain information on the age and educational qualifications of artists if available on their personal and/or gallery website.
Countess.Report collate this data so that similarities and differences can be seen between and across organisations, locations, genders, ages, and education.
Names are always de-identified when publishing the aggregated data but are recorded to maintain accuracy and provide meaningful robust context to the data. Our data is stored in password protected folders.
We record the information into excell spreadsheets using the following categories:
Allows us to identify individual organisations
︎︎︎Organisations Name
Name of the museum; gallery; media; event.
Allows us to identify and compare areas of activity and ensure we represent as broad a sample as possible.
︎︎︎State/Territory
Organisations state location reflect state based funding boundaries.
This category also helps us to further group galleries operating in various locations.
︎︎︎Regional/Metro
Organisations regional or metro location reflect various funding budgets and priorities.
We group the museums and galleries to best reflect their varying operational budgets
︎︎︎Org Category
︎︎︎State Museum and Galleries
︎︎︎Major Public/Private Museums
︎︎︎Public Regional Galleries
︎︎︎University Galleries
︎︎︎Commercial Galleries
︎︎︎Contemporary Art Spaces
︎︎︎Artist Run Galleries
︎︎︎Media
Identifying the exhibition title allows us to count artists within specific group exhibitions.
︎︎︎Exhibition Title
This category helps us to examine value, space and exposure and to describe specific types of group exhibitions
︎︎︎Exhibition Type
︎︎︎Solo Exhibition
︎︎︎Group Exhibition
︎︎︎Biennale
︎︎︎Triennale
︎︎︎Art Prize
Each line of data is linked to a name, this category identifies the role of that person in the exhibition or gallery context
︎︎︎Role
︎︎︎Exhibited Artist
︎︎︎Curator
︎︎︎Gallery Director
︎︎︎Represented Artist
︎︎︎Writer
︎︎︎Editor
︎︎︎Chairperson
︎︎︎Board Member
︎︎︎CEO
︎︎︎Unknown
Artists names and artworks are forever joined.
︎︎︎Name
Names are always de-identified when publishing the aggregated data but are recorded to maintain accuracy and meaningful context. Our data is stored securely in password protected folders.
We clarify and record the gender of artists via further research into how artist self identifies according to professional and gallery websites.
Collaboration while obviously not a gender, represents a significant alternate mode of working as an artist that is not singular.
Collaboration while obviously not a gender, represents a significant alternate mode of working as an artist that is not singular.
︎︎︎Gender
︎︎︎Collaboration
︎︎︎
Non-Binary
︎︎︎
Female
︎︎︎
Male
Further research is necessary to identify artists year of birth via artists professional website and/or gallery where an artist age is often recorded.
︎︎︎Year of Birth
When an artists work is collected or exhibited by a public instiution this information is displayed on an exhibition wall label and registration data. We collect this additional information to examine how prescriptive age is to established career pathways.
Further research is necessary to identify artists education via artists professional website and/or gallery where an artists education is often recorded on a CV.