Art as stimulus

National Endowment for the Arts gets a cut of the economic stimulus package- after years of cuts this is great news! Read more here. The arts are a vital part of the economy... Now lets stimulate our small not-for-profits! Everyone, go buy a ticket to something! Please!

The inauguration, everywhere...

Cannot get to a television tomorrow morning, or a radio? Use your work computer to live stream the inauguration tomorrow! You can catch it on Twitter, or Flickr or a wide array of Social Media sites. This will be the most widely attended political event (ever) and more people will be able to follow this historical moment in real-time via technology... If you are not a believer in the power of technology and the real impact on our lives, hope your opinion is changing quickly!

Check out the information at the NYTimes Bits Blog.

Americans for the Arts, using Facebook to talk about arts policy

Americans for the Arts is great about using Facebook to get the word out on important Arts Policy issues. Yesterday, I received a simple message and was redirected to their policy suggestions on how the arts can become a part of the economic recovery plan- pretty smart! (This is not an entirely new idea, artists were very involved in the economic recovery program at the end of the Great Depression, Wikipedia has some information here).

Americans for the Arts released its policy recommendations to President-elect Barack Obama and the U.S. Congress, as they begin consideration of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Plan. The nine recommendations detail how existing federal programs, as well as new proposals, can provide critical support to the country’s arts, as well as economic infrastructure.

Go Americans for the Arts! They are harnessing the power of Social Networks, to access a demographic at the right moment of engagement, and inform people about the issues using new platforms!

Need a study to tell you why your organization needs a social networking presence?

I am working on a presentation, as I mentioned Monday, and I am using the Pew Internet and American Life Project findings to present some information. There are multiple studies on who is using the internets (and other technologies) at an increased rate, and how. If you are interested, you can check out the studies here.

The share of adult internet users who have a profile on an online social network site has more than quadrupled in the past four years -- from 8% in 2005 to 35% now, according to the Pew Internet & American Life Project's December 2008 tracking survey.

Making a case for the arts

Penelope Burk's Blog has it, the quintessential case for the arts. Read the whole blog here.

Here is the final statement she makes:

The case for the arts exists on its own merit. It is not apologetic; it does not take a second place to healthcare or human services or education. The arts are as vital to life as breathing, food, shelter and health. If you work in development in the arts, please give yourself the right to break out, the commitment to not compromise, and the inspiration to capture the essence of what the playwright, the composer, the choreographer, the painter and the author are trying to communicate about the human condition.

What the arts can offer now, in a world full of anxiety and trouble, is even more vital.

Though art forms may be different, arts are vital to the human spirit- anyone involved in the arts can say that- we were either saved by expressing ourselves, or a glimpse into an other's expression. Especially in times of uncertainty, all arts are vital to inspire, encourage, reaffirm and simply feel alive. Making the case is difficult and essential. Anyone have a favorite case for an arts organization they can share? Comments are always open.

Lots of updates, not much context

As the title states, here is a list of relevant items for a Monday.

I am in the midst of some very interesting (and blog relevant) classes for my Masters program. Arts Marketing and Law and the Arts- both have very important roles in online media, they will be regular source of questions and findings over the next few months.

Tonight I am going to an awesome happy hour with friends and arts administrators, here.

I spent a good portion of the day with one of my life-long teachers working on a presentation for this conference.

I am developing both my photography website here, and more to come for this blog soon.

I am also in the midst of researching the latest news about the Seattle Post Intelligencer pending sale, and more on the trends for print publications around the country. If anything, this is an argument for us to step up and start considering our online media platforms, build our communications strategies and update how we consider PR. I have many concerns regarding the news media, and their present situations, more to come out in the next few days.

Have a great Monday and more tomorrow!

Tara

Hold please, City of Seattle podcasts local music makers while you wait

City of Seattle Office of Arts and Cultural Affairs is doing pretty innovative things... check this out from the latest newsletter:

City seeks music for phone lines, podcast

The Office is seeking a broad selection of locally-produced music for Seattle OnHold. This innovative program treats callers to local music when they call the city and are placed on hold. More than 10,000 city phone lines feature the music. OnHold also offers a free local music podcast. Listeners can buy music via iTunes, CD Baby and Amazon.com and link to featured musician's Web sites and concert calendars on the OnHold Web site.

To be considered in the next OnHold review cycle, submit an application by Jan. 27. For information on how to apply, visit the OnHold Web site. You can also suggest a band.

Get the podcast, and tell your friends. Or get friendly at the OnHold MySpace page.

Go city of Seattle! The city has actually embraced technology in some really neat ways, more to come- and I will start an events calendar soon!



Special SHOUT OUT to Picoso- awesome music, fun to dance to (and I grew up with the percussionist's wife- since 1st grade and lived with her in college- yeah Seattle's small, and friendship is long)!

New meaning to the craft circle

One topic I wasn't expecting to get into very much on this blog- but is of great interest to me is crafting. I am an avid crafter, especially knitting. The craft communities online are amazingly well connected and willing to share ideas. The blogroll of craft sites I frequent is too long, and not necessarily relevant to the interests on this blog- but I have come across a social networking site for knitters. Crafting is traditionally social; women groups have used craft for years to create community, and fashion pretty and useful items for the home.

Over the past few years craft has made its way back into the mainstream. Etsy.com is a wonderful source for artisans to connect with customers as an online flea market. Craft magazine has an RSS feed of unique and easy projects. Crafters can now learn everything online, from a new stitch, to altering a pattern, reviews of the best sewing machines and even how to take the best product photographs for Internet sales. Crafters are on Facebook, taking the handmade holiday pledge, and Etsy sellers have a group on LinkedIn.

Those crafters are so connected and so handy... I wonder how nonprofit organizations could benefit from so much camaraderie and shared experience. Sure knitting a scarf is different than managing donors and volunteers- but what comes out of sharing and collaboration can be good for everyone!

Have you noticed any other communities online from which the Arts and Nonprofit organizations could look to for some social networking strategies?

Facebook sues power.com

Two articles in the NYtimes bits blog expose facebook this week- the first is facebook's judgement against breast feeders. My sympathy goes out to these women, however, its not the subject of this blog.

The post of interest is Facebook's resistance to power.com. Now, I don't know anything about power.com, YET, but I will be doing my research. I have heard of it, in theory I love the idea of aggregating social networks, making it easier for the end-user, and overall enabling people to really leverage their networks- without taking all their time to do so. I am also wary. So I will be following up, until then check out the article here and the power.com website here.

Henry may be onto something

The Henry Art Gallery, a part of the pristine University of Washington campus has (as deduced from my not-so-scientific research) utilized the Internets in some pretty impressive ways, my most recent indulgence is Henry on YouTube, they have some ok videos and some pretty cool ones, and most importantly they are keeping it up to date. Check out the whole site here. Keep it up Henry!