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!

A new year, again

I wonder what is to come for Seattle Arts Organizations this year, actually the arts everywhere. We are in the midst of tough economic times, but the organizations that make it use crisis as an opportunity. The trends I would like to see arts organizations adopt in the upcoming year are:

• Work together. Forge strategic partnerships with other organizations in your area. In November I saw an amazing, and controversial performance in one large performing arts venue, a week later I saw a performance by the same choreographer's protege. What a lost opportunity, for cross-pollinating audiences! As an audience member (at both) my experience could have been enriched, and an important relationship could have been cemented in two regional arts forums.

• Work cross-discipline. Know your neighbors and work together to engage your community. An art gallery and performance space can have some great cross-over.

• Use technology to engage new audiences. Most of the online tools are free- free for anyone to use, so why aren't you using them? Use them well, post often, use multi-media forms, let your audiences engage online without controlling content.

• Make your organizations community spaces. In economic hard times people are looking to connect with their community more, and our art spaces do have the unique opportunity to create that. Be open off hours, invite the community in and open the relationship.

• Engage volunteers and pay them handsomely with your appreciation and sense of belonging. Volunteers are your biggest fans- they can be your greatest resources too, and if you don't know something one of them certainly will.

• And finally, crisis is an opportunity. Use this time to really communicate with your patrons- they are worried too, so ramp up emails/newsletters and blogs.

Happy New Year!

Broadway is on myspace

This makes sense, but is it really the right audience? Would YouTube be a better fit?
What do you think?

Hope you are having lovely holidays!

Seattle Art Museum can lighten up, and other advice

PI Arts Reporter has some good advice for Seattle Art Museum, which comes off as a little uptight, especially in their pencil only rules.

My biggest pet peeve is the Olympic Sculpture park is their attendants (and imposing signage) to make sure no one touches the momentous steel, iron and rock pieces of public art. There has to be a way to avoid the graffiti and other destruction but also engage audiences with public art- some educational component that doesn't come off like a nasty librarian smashing knuckles with a ruler and saying shuuuuush repeatedly. I do believe we can live in a culture where everyday people know how to respect public art.

A great suggestion from the same article is for SAM to follow On the Boards in blogging, this would be even better combined with their 'My SAM Collection' feature. Imagine, amateur curators and art critics online everywhere (and gee, engaging with art while they are at it).

Google innovates classical music, mashup to come

Google had a brilliant idea, create an online symphony tryout to engage professional and amateur musicians and create a truly international symphony. This may benefit Carnegie quite a bit, who will be hosting all of the chosen performers (chosen by audiences on YouTube) but the opportunities for symphonies all over the world abound- because suddenly they have an opportunity to connect, jump on the bandwagon and get online!



Perhaps my favorite aspect of this project is it came from the outside- from outside the organization, from outside the nonprofit/arts sector and from fans who could do something. And this is for people who are not season ticket holders, not professionally trained, it blows the stuffiness of classic arts performance out of the water. I cannot wait to see the mashup and what is to come, perhaps the Opera is next?