Please, DON'T Silence Your Cell Phones

This article highlights a new iPhone and Android app that will allow audience members to interact with a performance by affecting the stage- specifically the lighting. Created by Georgia Tech students, this article tells of a new feature that will hopefully boost audience participation in the arts. A small step in the race for top technological advancements in the arts, the software is set to launch April 2nd in Atlanta.

I'm not sure how exciting this would be for audience members at this time. I'm not particularly enthused by the idea, but I think it may have some potential.

http://www.technologyinthearts.org/?p=1822

Museum Crowd-Curation

This article discusses the idea of audiences participating in the curarotiral process by "helping to determine, through an online platform, the artwork to be included in a physical exhibition displayed in a museum's gallery." The Brooklyn Museum pioneered this idea through the staff taking a transparent and scientific approach to the experiment. This idea is intriguing because we as an audience spend our time organizing media and organizations will remain at the forefront by presenting online audience engagement. By putting audience ideas together crowd-curation has the potential to reach high levels of contemplation. http://www.technologyinthearts.org/?p=1767#

IT & Baby Boomers

Back in November, The Agitator commented on an article in USA Today about appealing to Boomers. Here's the highlights - the last one surprised me a bit:

Make them feel good — should be a no-brainer for nonprofits. Make them feel hip — my advice … if you’re doing something new, out of the box, innovative … highlight it! Make them feel smart — your nonprofit is the right choice, is it not? Your welcome package is a great place to do this. Make them feel sexy — Help! I’m stumped on this one … what makes for a sexy nonprofit? Its celebrity patron is Angelina Jolie? Brad Pitt? Make them feel hungry — tell your story with flair and they’ll want to know more and more about what you’re doing, why it’s working, the problems you’re up against. Make them feel techie — maybe a bit counter-intuitive, but Boomers love their gadgets as much as anyone (and can afford them) … what do your email alerts/appeals and web pages look like on an iPhone?

The question was brought up "How can we make a non-profit sexy to Boomers?" A few weeks later, The Agitator post this video from American Jewish World Service as a great example. This video was one of four winners at the 4th annual DoGooder Nonprofit Video Awards.

Smithsonian's Folkways Label to Release Jazz Anthology

I never knew the Smithsonian had a recording label until I came across this article in the Washington Post:

http://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/style/jazz-the-smithsonian-anthology-highlights-genres-history/2011/03/17/AFxxfubB_story.html

Apparently the Smithsonian scored a double platinum rating on a classic jazz anthology that their Folkways label released back in 1973. Now they are preparing to release a follow up collection of jazz entitled: Jazz: The Smithsonian Anthology. The collection of music is not meant to be a best of collection of jazz, but a collection of the significant contributors to jazz's century-long history. Pared down from 2500 titles to 111 the collection will be offered in a six-cd box set and goes on sale Tuesday.

Another interesting fact to note is that this project was not funded with tax payer money, but through foundations and private grants.

Playwright Lanford Wilson Dead

Today I just happened to come across an obituary for the playwright, Lanford Wilson, buried in the back of the Metro section of the Washington Post. I just happened to be flipping through the pages and almost missed the article completely. He died at the age of 73 on Wednesday, March 23rd also known as the day that Elizabeth Taylor died. It was the standard obituary notice giving the highlights of his life and briefly discussing his playwrighting accomplishments. It just seemed so unfair that this man described in the obituary as "one of the most important playwrights of the late 20th century" should get a measly 3 columns in the back of the Metro section. I'm sure by now millions of columns and billions of words have been devoted to Elizabeth Taylor. I don't want to diminish her importance; in fact, I completely agree that she should have articles devoted to her. It just seems that had Lanford Wilson died at any other time he would have been front page news. I guess it just goes to show that you should never die on the same day (or even the same week) as someone more famous than you.

Open Source Software for the Cultural Sector

Athena (stands for Advanced Technology Hub and Extensible Nexus for the Arts) is a free software system created by Fractured Atlas (a non profit that supports artists) for non profit organizations. I thought this would be interesting to bring to everyone's attention as a software platform created by a cultural institution exclusively for cultural institutions.

http://athena.fracturedatlas.org/main

Kickstarter - New Financing Tool for Non-Profits

I have been a fan of Kiva (www.kiva.org) for many years and was excited to recently find out about a new financing online tool for organizations and individuals in the arts. Kickstarter describes itself as the "the largest funding platform for creative projects in the world". This site seems like a great way for small projects to promote themselves and raise donations.

http://www.kickstarter.com/

Technology for Dance

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/thearts/2014538172_ezra19.html

A new look at dance and the integration of new technologies. Completely changing the experience to include a wireless element and special sensors all to enhance the movements on stage. This one-man-show, accompanied by a large screen, is surely doing something exciting. Read what the critics had to say about the show.

Data Sharing and the Arts

My theater - Pittsburgh Public -- is located in the heart of Pittsburgh's Cultural District and has closed ties to the Cultural Trust and to the surrounding arts organizations. These ties have been many years in the making, and as we try to navigate new economic waters and foresee the future of Pittsburgh still-developing cultural scene, we have been testing new ways to forge relationships and coordinate marketing and fundraising efforts. It's a difficult task, to be sure - especially when the comments of some prominent figures (*ahem* Rocco Landesman) encourage more competition for the sake of a "survival of the fittest" mentality". Still, our data sharing efforts are finally starting to pay off while many regions have yet to join the Cultural Data Project.

Here's an excerpt from the National Arts Marketing Project's blog post:

"While trust must be given, it must also be earned and respected in order for any data sharing relationship to grow. For example, the Greater Pittsburgh Arts Council has been working with Elliott Marketing Group to compile and share the SMART Database, which allows organizations in Pittsburgh's Cultural District to pool their patron data and utilize consulting services as well as “best prospect” lists for more efficient, targeted promotions. The success of this data sharing program did not happen overnight. The arts council, the arts organizations contributing data, and the marketing group have spent years developing trust relationships with each other. Now, they have ten years of collaborative data, and the participating organizations clearly understand what they must contribute to the project and what they will receive in return. With each successive year, the data deepens. Correspondingly, the level of trust each of the contributing organizations has with the arts council and the marketing group also deepens."

To read more, click here.

Glen's Virtual Orchestra

This is an interesting article based on a composer's desire to hear his own music. Musicians play individual parts of the same piece, follow the same conductor on-screen, record their part, and then submit the finished part. It is then up to him to piece all the audio and visual elements together. Glen (the composer) says he thought he could get the word out just by posting on facebook but realized quickly it would take a lot more than that; people want to see credentials etc but now his project has really gotten momentum.

http://www.technologyinthearts.org/?p=1776#more-1776

Social Media Video Primer

Tim is the communications guy at St Mary Development Corporation (focused on housing for the disadvantaged) in Dayton, Ohio. He’s the classic one-armed paperhanger small nonprofits know well! But he’s found creative ways to leverage limited time and budget to put his organization on the online map.

He's posted this 52 minute video about leveraging social media to connect with donors.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I0qhxej2wdA

As with many presentations I've come across that addres the issue of online & soical media fundraising, it's more focused on service-oriented non-profits. So it requires some adjustments in order for it to better fit an arts orgazinations - especially performing arts organizations.

Ticket Buying Comes to Facebook

TicketForce has recently created a facebook app do that venues and organizations can buy tickets directly from a Fan Page. I have mixed feeling about this. Mainly because it takes traffic away from organizations' websites.

http://www.technologyinthearts.org/?p=1798

Related to this is the recent Movie Night Out mobile app that is run in part by Fandango. Larger organizations are starting to create thier own ticket buying apps or mobile websites, but does anyone know of a collective or groups that provide an app list this? Say, if I know I was going to be in downtown Chicago and wanted to grab dinner and see a play, is there an app of a website that would let me do this all in one place?

Modern Art Posters

Reference: artandseek.net/2011/03/18/sxsw-videoradio-flatstock-shows-postermaking-is-alive-and-well/

This link is a both a print and video clip about modern day bands posters. There was a Flatsrock poster show recently in Austin Texas, which was about the promotional posters for touring bands concerts. Quotes from attendees and artists explain how this media is surviving in the times of digital media. There continues to exist a market for band posters. The artists discussed how the posters represent the music in a visual context.

Netflix negotiates "House of Cards"

Reference: latimesblogs.latimes.com/entertainmentnewsbuzz/2011/03/is-netflix-building-a-house-of-cards-in-origional-programming.html

The article is about Netflix's recent bid to acquire a prime time political drama. This project is under negotiations This would be a first for this medium and a test to see if a series could service without promotional ads and commercials.

Streamlining movies

Reference nytimes.com/2011/03/17/technology/personaltech/17pague.html?_r=2&src=dayp

The article is by David Pague a writer for the NY Times. He addresses the pluses and minuses of watching video over the internet. He identifies a new service the: newstreaming-movieservice,Zediva.com This website offers movies with the benefits of watching a DVD, for example subtitles and languages. The cost is $2 per movie or $1. per tenpack. The only drawback is that the web browser used must play Flash video. Doesn't work with IPAD or IPhones at this time. The author identifies some of the potential legal issues as well.

Multimedia Performing Arts

Reference: wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748704893604576198642015572906html.
Linked from the daily arts journal.
The article, How Much Innovation is To Much, discusses the range of complexity in a couple of performing arts venues. The author asked an expert in neuroscience, Professor Rodolfo Llinas from the NYU school of medicine. He addressed the capacity of the brain to process a variety of stimuli at once. The article compared complex multimedia performances with mimimalist performances.

A different type of exhibit

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/03/17/arts/design/perfume-as-an-art-form-at-museum-of-art-and-design.html?_r=1&ref=artsspecial

This article doesn't talk so much about computers or social media, but about how existing technology is being used to create a different type of exhibition: An olfactory exhibit about the history of perfume that uses diffusers (a very ordinary invention today) to release small amounts of the scent in question into an area the guest can enjoy.

I thought this was a great example of how using ordinary everyday machinery and equipment can still provide a unique experience.

T.White

Simplifying Arts Fundraising

Innovations in technology and new websites are making online fundraising more convenient and secure, allowing nonprofit arts organizations to change the way they approach development.

Philanthroper, a daily deal site for charitable giving, is allowing organizations to raise funds, spread their mission and reach audiences far beyond their immediate community. Each day Philanthroper features the story of a different nonprofit organization, offering viewers the option to donate just $1 to the organization. The idea behind allowing viewers to donate just $1 is that they will come back tomorrow and donate another $1.

SwipeGood is a new company providing nonprofits with a solution to daily giving. Users register to have purchases on their credit or debit card rounded up to the nearest dollar and the difference donated to an organization of their choosing each month (nonprofit must be registered with SwipeGood). Sitar Arts Center, a D.C. based nonprofit that provides an afterschool safe haven and arts education to underserved youth in Adams Morgan recently began using SwipeGood to increase its fundraising and donor base.

These are just two examples of the infectious nature of technology the ever-expanding number of tools to simplify communication, interactions and outcomes. Whether these innovations, which make things like fundraising more convenient for both the organization and the patron, will have positive, lasting outcomes is yet to be determined.

https://philanthroper.com

https://swipegood.com/

Museums Pursue Engagements with Social Media

This article examines how museums are using social media to get people through their doors and engage with its audience. “It’s less about technology and more about what the visitor can bring to the equation,” said Ms. Bernstein, 37, a pixieish woman who answers questions at a rapid-fire speed. “In the end, we want people to feel ownership of this museum. We ask them to tell us what they think. They can give us a bad review; when we make a mistake they can come to our rescue. We want to engage with our community.”

However, museums often face challenges to keep up with the fast changing media and not getting too caught up in fads.

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/03/17/arts/design/museums-pursue-engagement-with-social-media.html?pagewanted=2&_r=2

Cultural Omnivores

http://www.npr.org/blogs/monkeysee/2011/03/16/134592242/in-praise-of-cultural-omnivores?ft=1&f=1008

Above is the link to a very interesting article I found about the public's consumption of different levels of art and cultural events. (Highbrow level = opera or classical music, etc. Middlebrow level = theater, etc. Lowbrow = NASCAR, etc) In this article it is suggested that people who attend art and cultural events have a tendency to attend events from all three categories, thus the name "cultural omnivore".

I kinda like this idea of omnivores. Yes, it is necessary to have all the major art food groups: Theater, Music, Museums, Dance, and Film. But life just wouldn't be much fun without the cultural "chocolate" too of Football or NASCAR or Daytime Dramas (just a fancy term for Soap Operas)to name a few. I personally have a tendancy to cross-polinate quite a bit enjoying all sorts of cultural and art experiences. For example I can enjoy Tchaikovsky's 1812 Overture as much as my Mother does, but I also like Led Zeppelin and Madonna.

The article also wants to address the issue of dwindling audiences during the period 2002 through 2008. Where this article seems to fail is in forgetting that the US economy experienced an enormous recession during this period and is still in the grips of recession. It is hard to continue to support the arts as much as we would like when we are unemployed or under-employed and struggling to pay for the basic necessities of life like rent and food. Studies like the NEA's are nice for beginning a discussion, but you can't take information out of context and expect to have a meaningful discussion.

Google for Non-profits

This is an interesting new program to assist non profits in reaching more donors, advertising, and overall, create a network of support for nonprofit organizations. This is a tool that arts organizations can definitely benefit from. The more connected the non profit world is the more I believe each organization benefits from the other's strengths.

http://googleblog.blogspot.com/2011/03/youre-changing-world-we-want-to-help.html

New Gaming Technology for Arts Educators

http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20110316005755/en/Nintendo-News-Nintendo%E2%80%99s-Art-Academy-Fuels-Creativity


WOW! Another creative use of technology to engage arts participants- especially students. Nintendo has released a new program for the Nintendo DS chain, Art Academy, that allows students to be introduced to the world of visual arts. The program supposedly provides real-life techniques on the console that can be easily transferred to an actual canvas. This new technology is giving teachers another way to engage their students in the arts. Instead of playing games like Mario Cart for countless hours, students now have the option to explore their creative mind.

More Reasons Technology is Important at Arts Organizations

For those of you that think technology is only a range of tools that enhance efficiency or help organizations market their programs and services more effectively, think again. Studies now also show that tech users are more likely to patronize arts organizations. If you use your technology resources effectively, you may start attracting more loyal customers.

http://www.artsjournal.com/artfulmanager/main/is-new-technology-a-complement.php

Using Social Media in Arts Organizations

"Social Networking for Non-Profit Organizations," is a slideshow presentation (below) created by Ceci Dadisman. The presentation lays a foundation for understanding social networking and its impact on communication. To stay competitive, arts organizations must responsibly take advantage and monitor new social networking and media outlets. The presentation illustrates why organizations should network and how they can do so. It also investigates multiple networking tools, details tips for embracing the technology and concludes with several valuable case studies.

Social Media for Non-Profit Arts Organizations

View more presentations from CeciCreative

http://www.slideshare.net/cecicreative/social-media-presentation-1640916

Artists in the Middle East

reference artsjournal.com/realcleararts/2011/03/cario-contemporary.html

The article is by Judith H. Dabizynski concerning artists in the Middle East. There is a League of the Revolution's Artists in Egypt that is producing drawings, caricatures, poems and plays that are inspired by Mubarak's rule. She reports about the death of ahmed El Basiony a prominant Egyptian sound and media artist. Ms. Dabizynski has connected with Sarah Rifky who has become a source of information for the west about artists and the conditions in Egypt. Ms Rifky is using two types of social media, Facebook and Twitter to disseminate information. She is also using international phone calls as well. The article links to several other articles about arts news in the Middle East.

Big box Art Museums Wings

reference artsjournal.com/realarts/2011/03/betsky-on-architecture.html

This article, by Judith H. Dopbizynski in the arts journal references another article by aaron Betsky's article in the February issue of Art in America. Mr Betsky is an architect. discusses the high pricetag of art wing additions at the Boston Museum for Fine Arts and a couple of other museums. The basic shapes were boxes comparible in square footage to some rectangular Walmarts. Mr. Betsky believes Walmart is more accessible than these museum wings. The article discusses the high pricetag for a basic box, were they worth the price.

Now Available! Online Museum Crowd-Curation!

The Brooklyn Museum of Art is at it again. An online activity now allows amateur viewers the opportunity to become participants and, to some extent, dictators of how art in a gallery show is to be chosen. This activity, known as crowd-curation, allows individuals looking at images online to select those paintings they find to be most interesting and aesthetically pleasing, and rate them against others--resulting in decisions made about what art is and is not to be included in a gallery show.

In this instance, the internet is once again aiding in society's gradual progression toward becoming a more participatory culture when it comes to art.


Museum crowd-curation and the way we live now

New Social Media Benefits

We all know about the importance of having arts organizations establish a presence on social media sites like Facebook and Twitter but we rarely hear much about ways to use these tools to benefit our organizations. New micro-philanthropy sites like allthis.com can help non-profit organizations financially benefit from social media tools.

http://www.artsjournal.com/lies/2011/03/will-social-media-save-us/

Smithsonian Discusses Libraries, Museums, and Archives, in a Digital World

"The Smithsonian Institution Libraries (SIL), Smithsonian Institution Archives (SIA) and the Office of the Chief Information Officer (OCIO) presents the next in a series of speakers in 2011 to address the Institution on the future of libraries, museums and archives in a digital world. 

George Oates: A Conversation with Nancy Gwinn

March 15, 2011, 4:00 p.m. - 5:00 p.m.

National Museum of Natural History, Baird Auditorium

Come hear George Oates, Lead for Open Library, and Nancy Gwinn, Director, Smithsonian Institution Libraries, talk about the future of libraries, archives and museums in a digital world.

As Lead for Open Library, at Internet Archive, George is responsible for the overall site design, project management, grant management, and community development of the program. Previously, she served as the Senior Program Manager for Flickr, where she developed the successful Flickr Commons environment that provided a ground-breaking platform for cultural heritage organizations to crowdsource and community-build around their photographic collections. While at Flickr, George won six Webby Awards for her design and user-experience work.

George was one of the invited "digerati" at the 2009 Smithsonian 2.0 meetings as well as the keynote speaker at the Smithsonian Regents Dinner.  She has been appointed a Research Associate for Smithsonian Institution Libraries in 2011. 

This lecture will be webcast live!  http://www.sil.si.edu/lectures_oates_20110315.html

Live tweet the event! #LAMfutures " from SI Announcements

Is new technology a complement or supplement to real-world interaction?

Although some people fear new technology could possibly take over real life interaction with the arts, this article is an interesting read. "People's use of the mobile phone and the internet is associated with larger and more diverse discussion networks. And, when we examine people's full personal network -- their strong and weak ties -- internet use in general, and use of social networking services such as Facebook in particular, are associated with more diverse social networks."

http://www.artsjournal.com/artfulmanager/main/is-new-technology-a-complement.php

The Rise of Video Art and Its Place in the Field

http://www.theartnewspaper.com/articles/Fast+forward+video+art/23356

Video Art, an old technique transcending with time, is breaking into many recent art fairs. The usage of plasma televisions and a creative mind allow artists to create truly remarkable works and selling at even better prices. Some critics and art lovers argue that video art is time consuming, but I feel that any form of art that one takes the time to create is worth the wait. So quickly do people find the need to dismiss anything or anyone who takes up too much time. Today's world is all about the here and now, get rich quick, 30 seconds or less mentality that we often forget that patience is virtue. Technology is changing every second of every day. We just have to remember to be sure to appreciate each moment that we have to be in contact with such precious art.

Facebook the invincible

http://www.cnn.com/2011/TECH/social.media/03/08/facebook.overvalued/index.html?hpt=Sbin It's amazing to me that people are considering the demise of Facebook so soon. Don't people realize that this is the first time ever in history that people are being able to reconnect with long lost people and that this will probably continue and grow as things like Ancestry.com and linkedin.com do? The bubble may burst, but I believe that Facebook is going to be around for a long time and I also believe that the arts still haven't made the best use of this media outlet as of yet. We are still learning what social media marketing is and trying to take advantage of the coming trends.

Funding for Public Broadcasting

I read with great interest an article about funding for Public Broadcasting (PBS).

http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20110301005747/en/National-Survey-Finds-69-Percent-Voters-Oppose

There are a couple interesting things about this survey. First of all the survey was paid for by PBS and done by two different independent companies, Hart Research (a Democratic company) and American Viewpoint (a Republican company). Second, I think it is important to note that these studies were done with political viewpoints to illustrate that this is a bipartisan study. While the percentages of Democratic, Republican and Independent viewpoints do vary slightly, they all point to the same viewpoint: PBS is considered an important asset and funding for PBS should be continued without a reduction in funds. The focus on the political parties seems to address the anticipated arguments that may arise in Congress regarding funding for PBS. By showing that all political parties across the board hold a majority view that funding for PBS should continue they circumvent arguments that this survey has any political leanings that could prevent passage of a bill to continue PBS funding at the same rate.

Another interesting point is that this survey was paid for by PBS. Arts organizations are an enigma to the general population. While the average citizen is aware of them, they don't really understand how they operate and how their services are assessed both quantitatively and qualitatively. In order for arts organizations to bring to light the affect they have in our communities beyond a dollars and cents assessment, I believe they will find more and more that they will need to fund their own independent studies to open the eyes of the public to the more intangible ways they bring value to the world at large.

British tourist attraction visitors figures: who's up and who's down?

The Guardian has published a list showing the most visited tourist attractions in the Britain and whether those sites were up or down from last year. And, it included this pretty cool visualisation which can be interacted with!

It's the interactive chart that got my attention. It's a creative way to get vital information across. If technology is used in this manner, it really engages the readers and informs them without bogging them down with too many numbers.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/news/datablog/2011/feb/23/british-tourist-attractions-visitor-figures#data

The Virtual Orchestra Project

I believe that one of the greatest fears of social technology is its ability to potentially alienate people from an authentic artistic experience. However, the Virtual Orchestra Project shows that technology has an ability to connect musicians across nations, ethnicities and musical disciplines. With lots of planning Emmy nominated composer Glenn Rhodes was able to make the Virtual Orchestra Project a virtual success.

http://www.technologyinthearts.org/?p=1776#more-1776

Checking into the neighborhood

I recently read an article about Eva Bornstein, the executive director of the Lehman Center for the Performing Arts located in the Bronx burrough of New York City.

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/02/27/nyregion/27lehman.html?_r=1&ref=davidgonzalez

It describes how Ms Bornstein took the opportunity to go out into the actual streets of the neighborhood surrounding the arts center to get to know what the residents were actually like. She found a neighborhood of made up mostly hispanic people; a culture she admittedly knew very little about. So she began her cutural education with a trip to Puerto Rico. Ultimately, her familiarization with her neighborhood has led her to make programming decisions that have made the Lehman Center a success.

I found this to be an interesting article because it shows how getting to know your environment can really influence the way you go about presenting your art to the community; how your choices can more directly benefit your community. By focusing on the community, we can better support them and they, in turn, will better support us.

The Google Art Project

A few years ago Google Earth and Google Street View technology shocked the world with up-close, 360-degree satellite footage of cities and neighborhoods all over the globe. Now, the Google technology is taking to the arts. The Google Art Project uses Google Street View Technology to give viewers a look inside eighteen museums (and counting) from New York to Moscow.

The Google Art Project is a sophisticated tool that can bring countless benefits to the arts and culture sphere. As leisure time becomes more precious and people turn to the internet as a use of their time, innovations like Google Art Project allow opportunities to experience new things virtually. A free learning tool, the project supports self-learning and is a creative way to supplement school curriculums. The project also acts as a marketing tool, showcasing a museum’s works and venues and enticing those viewers with the ability to visit a museum in person to do so.

One of the most interesting elements of the project is the viewer’s option to create a collection.This feature allows a viewer to compose his or her own virtual art collection, which can then be shared with friends. This feature takes the project one step further by adding a relevant social networking component while keeping the project focused on the art world.

For every benefit the project brings there are also uncertainties. Making specific artworks available virtually could negatively affect the participating museum’s visitorship. Copyright and legal issues cannot be overlooked. Also, many images will not be available for view in high resolution, making the presentation less than desirable. While the project provides exposure to number of works, the experience is not the same as a true museum visit, causing a skewed reality.

Although there are many technical bugs and informational gaps to be worked out, the project is still very much in its beginning stages. As it continues to expand its number of museums, the tools, features and technicalities of the site will also improve. The uncertainty of the project’s effects on the art world are unsettling and will prevent some institutions from joining until the consequences are fully explored. This should be not viewed negatively though. Taking the time to explore a technologically advanced idea like the Google Art Project, which is sure to have overarching effects of the entire sector, can only be viewed as a responsible decision on behalf of the institution.

The Google Art Project is a huge step forward in self-education and virtual tour technology, but it is still a work in progress and institutions must be cautious. As long as the project is approached with vigilance and observed by the arts and culture sector, it is sure to have positive and lasting effects.

The Google Art Project: http://www.googleartproject.com/

For sale: baby shoes, never worn

I had a conversation the other day with a co-worker about e-books. It started off on the topic of libraries and their reluctance to get into the sharing business. Now, apparently, there is a little more to this situation than I knew about - for instance, many publishers will not grant libraries licenses to e-books. Here's an article on the topic:

http://www.insidehighered.com/blogs/library_babel_fish/a_library_written_in_disappearing_ink

But then the conversation turned to pondering how e-books and recent technology will change how many writers construct their stories and novels. Or even how playwrights will write their scripts. If any of you are familiar with Annie Baker, I think her dialog is a remarkable depiction of present-day language for an internnet-consumed generation.

But after a bit of internet surfing, I came across this story about how Rick Moody wrote a short story on twitter:

http://blogs.wsj.com/speakeasy/2009/11/30/are-tweets-literature-rick-moody-thinks-they-can-be/

Of course, critics were all over it, refusing to acknowledge it as an actual short story. My response? See the title of this blog. Ernest Hemingway was light years ahead of all of us.

Opera Filmed In 3D: It Could Redefine The Art

The title above was used as the subject line for my RSS Feed - and I think it might be a little too wide-eyed. "Redefine"? I doubt it. I think everyone can agree, whether you're a huge fan of Opera or not, that nothing will ever beat a live performance. But for those many who find the artform inaccesible due to the cost of a ticket, filmed versions have been the only way to see a perfromance of "Carmen" and others. I can see the die-hard fans scoffing at the idea of a Hollywood "gimmick" being applied to Opera, but it's not for them. It's also not the right approach to attract new audience members, either. If you've decided Opera is not for you, I don't think 3-D is going to change that. For those people who may only get a chance to see filmed versions, this is a way of hinting at the larger experience.

I'll be interested to see whether this take off or flops. It seems to benefit only a small group of people. You be the judge.

http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/11061/1128892-388.stm#ixzz1FSY47Mae

Mobile App Development at the Warhol

In this podcast episode, the Web and Digital Media Manager and the education curator of the Warhol museum discuss their new mobile apps and the development process behind them. In conjunction with the museum they worked with companies such as Brunner Digital and Toura that focus on advertising and tourism.

http://www.technologyinthearts.org/?p=1751

Using Groupon for Marketing and Fundraising

If you work in marketing, development, or membership at an arts organization, you should seriously consider how you can use online group buying tools to generate cash and new members. Museums in Pittsburgh are apparently having much success with Groupon.

http://philanthropy.com/blogs/prospecting/groupon-garners-new-members-and-cash-for-museums/28848

How Non-Profit Organizations Use Texting for Fundraising

We seem to be reading a lot about how non-profit organizations are using new electronic tools like Twitter and text messaging to supplement their traditional fundraising efforts. Some have been especially successful at using text messaging to collect large numbers of small donations from subscribers. It may be something that local arts organizations should consider incorporating into their fundraising mix.

http://philanthropy.com/blogs/prospecting/how-charities-use-text-messaging-two-new-reports/21357

Does a Big Budget Make a Difference?

This article discusses survey results compiled from responses across a broad spectrum of arts and cultural organizations across the United States and Canada suggesting that arts organizations with large budgets typically spend more money on technology as a means of marketing their products and services (website design and ease of use when it comes to ticket purchasing, for example) while arts institutions with smaller budgets tend to spend less (resulting in static websites and no need for any full-time information technology staff members to even incite technological advancement). In the small and large institutions surveyed, most did not have any sort of technology plan for the future----which, as the article states, may indicate a lack of planning for future technology. With social media marketing taking the world by storm, it seems not all arts institutions (large or small) are 'keeping up with the joneses.'

Technology Adoption and Implementation in Arts Organizations

Instant Encore: Classical Music goes Mobile

Instant Encore: Classical Music goes Mobile


This is an article I found on a blog site called Technology in the Arts. This article discusses the development of a program called INSTANTENCORE, a classical music platform that enables artists and arts organization to harness the power of technology to connect with their fans anywhere. It has been said that the power of certain art forms lies as much in the experience associated with the art as it does in the art itself. I wonder if the development of programs like INSTANTENCORE will diminish the conservative nature associated with the performing arts discipline we know to be orchestral music. Recently, the company has been busy building custom mobile apps for Android, iPad, iPhone and all smartphones---making orchestral performances available to all across the world.

Data Sharing and the Arts

As we as arts managers continue to rely more and more on online technology to poll things like patterns in attendance, audience demographics, and individual website visits...just how information should we be willing to give up about patrons to those online companies in return for their services? Google Analytics is a perfect example.

As the article states, data sharing – whether for marketing, ticketing, fundraising purposes – raises a plethora of issues. Does pooling information about patrons lead to greater revenues for all parties? Or do organizations risk a negative response from patrons? Additionally, is giving out the personal information our patrons trust us with to third parties for the above-mentioned purposes unethical?

The use of technologies like Google Analytics will no doubt shape either the success or failure of arts organizations in the years to come, but at what cost to our relationship with their consumers?

Online Artist Registries

Today many arts organizations are pursuing methods for supporting and promoting their members within the community. While approaches vary between disciplines, many visual arts organizations have developed artist registries or databases. The Washington Project for the Arts (WPA), a Washington, D.C.-based nonprofit, is one such organization.

The WPA’s Artfile Online is an interactive, searchable registry that showcases the WPA’s artist members. Artfile gives artists the opportunity to present images of their work along their resume, artist statement and link to their website. Although Artfile is managed by the WPA, members manage their own portfolios. Having each artist handle his/her own portfolio simplifies the process for the organization and makes the tool more practical for the artists.

The registry, which is available for search by the public, allows viewers to explore artists by media, style, location and keyword. In addition, viewers can sort search results by last name, recent updates and recent adds. Once a list of search results has appeared, the viewer can choose to look at an artist’s entire portfolio, send the artist an e-mail or “add to lightbox”. The lightbox feature, though only available to members, allows the viewer to collect and keep track of artists they like.

Maintaining a large, searchable database of artists is a valuable asset for the organization, the artists, and the critics, curators and collectors of the art world. With the assistance of databases such as Artfile, thousands of artists and their exemplary works and contact information can be found at the touch of a button—simplifying the process a hundred times over.

However, with the rise of online artist databases comes the threat of reliability on them. There will always be artist’s who cringe at the thought of being thrown into the belly of the beast. Relying solely on a registry to find an artist, though convenient, might prove restricting.

Artist registries and databases like Artfile are a critical tool in the self-promotion of an artist. While they will only increase in relevancy, sophistication and quantity in the future, it is important to keep in mind these registries will never represent the entirety of the art world.

WPA's Artfile Online: http://artfile.wpadc.org/

St. Patrick school receives arts, media and technology designation

St. Patrick Catholic Secondary School in Toronto Canada recently received the arts, media, and technology designation in the hopes of attracting more students and providing a more holistic curriculum. I wonder what lessons can be learned from this model for our own schools here in the US?

http://www.insidetoronto.com/news/local/article/957815--east-york-st-patrick-school-receives-arts-media-and-technology-designation