Dear CultureSource Members,
A year ago, at the biennial National Assembly of State Arts Agencies leadership institute, I sat in an uncomfortable hotel ballroom chair, equally discomfited by a presentation I was hearing on evolving cultures in electronic and digital arts. I was surprised by how much I didn’t understand and simultaneously convinced that, among other things, the virtual and algorithmic art shared with the room represented irrepressible advances in creative expression.
At CultureSource, we want you to be ready for both the daunting digital realities and exciting electronic possibilities ahead. And this November, we’re kicking off a year-long focus on the intersection of the arts and tech: creation, inclusion, facilitation, and distribution.
This focus coincides with the kick-off of a similar—though more robust—national inquiry being conducted by the National Endowment for the Arts and the Ford and Knight foundations.
As a collaborator on this national initiative, in part as a member of its advisory committee, CultureSource hopes to do the following:
- round up regional allies—current and prospective—to help prepare for and embrace futures dominated by digital connectivity and electric-powered creativity
- inspire local peers with perspectives from outside of our region
- spark new relationships that make progress efficient and opportunity rich
As this exploration unfolds, we remain sensitive to immediate pressures you feel in your business—meeting monthly revenue targets, putting out event fires, filling vacant staff positions, etc. And that’s one reason we continue offering tactical sessions like our November monthly marketing workshop on maximizing holiday season revenue through social media.
However, our hope is that this tech focus creates resources and momentum that power your long-term sustainability in an increasingly digital world.
Cheers,
Omari