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/