In Case You Missed It - November 2011

Thanksgiving is coming up, which means a brief hiatus in the posts here. Let’s take a quick look at some of the great posts we had this month, and hear from our bloggers about what they’re thankful for in the realm of technology. Technology in the Arts took a look at turning digital billboards into art galleries and discussed Facebook and arts organizations in honor of Mark Zuckerberg’s visit to Carnegie Mellon University.

Congress took some time this month to consider a bill to reduce internet regulation, and we discussed how that would impact Net Neutrality.

We also had an amazing guest post by Ashley Paulisick about smartphone apps in art museums, and an interesting piece on how artists are informing the public about pollution. I hope you check out all our wonderful articles from November. Now let’s hear from the Technology in the Arts staff about what they’re grateful for this holiday season –

Elizabeth Quaglieri -

"I am thankful for ARTStor Digital Library. Nothing makes you appreciate a work of art more than to get up close and personal with the brushstrokes, the pigment, and your computer screen. Zoom in, zoom in, zoom in. Happy Thanksgiving to all our Technology in the Arts Followers!"

Sean Bowie -

"As it pertains to technology, I'm thankful for the three things I can't live without: Google Reader, The New York Times, and HBO. And I can't forget the main things I'm thankful for: my family, my friends, my health, and the chance to learn and work with so many talented people on a daily basis here at Carnegie Mellon."

Naina Singh -

"Technologically speaking, I'm thankful for a lot of things, but a few stand out simply because they are outstanding:

Google Translate and Google Maps, for without them I'd be lost both physically and linguistically!

Google Art Project for enabling me to see what I never thought I could!

Artfinder and Paddle8 for helping me discover new art and artists no matter where I may be!"

Andre Bouchard -

I am thankful for the ever widening world of the arts online.  I am thankful that I can now access challenging content through portals like http://www.ontheboards.tv/

Rachael Wilkinson -

I'm grateful that art musuems have embraced modern technology and now let me whip out my cell phone while in the galleries. What once felt taboo now seems encouraged.

Tara George -

I'm thankful for Spotify this year...totally.

That's all folks - have a happy and safe Thanksgiving!

In Case You Missed It - October 2011

The leaves have fallen down and the air has begun to crack with cold – October is ending! Here’s a look back at some of the big topics our we tackled this month. Not only does Technology in the Arts recognize the need to protect federal funding for the arts, we also took a look at how artists can protect themselves and their digital intellectual properties.

From there, we took a look at how the arts and business can cohabitate peacefully with the BMW Guggenheim lab.

We gave everyone some insight about into up-and-coming demographic, The Millennials, and how your organization can reach them.

Of course, all work and no play makes this a boring blog. We discussed how arts organizations can utilize a game dynamic, as well as took a closer look at the mobile app game integrated into the experience of the Tate Modern.

We had loads of great articles this month, and I hope you take some time to check out them all. Enjoy the weekend and have a fun and safe Halloween!

Best of Technology in the Arts 2010 -- David's Favorites

As we move into 2011, it's time to take a look back at my favorite articles and podcast episodes from Technology in the Arts in 2010.

My Top 10 TITA Articles (in chronological order)

1. Building Audience Diversity Through Social Networking - Part 1, Part 2 and Part 3 -- Amelia investigates why arts organizations use certain social networking sites but not others (such as ethnically specific sites like Black Planet) and what impact this has on their ability to use social networking as a tool for building diverse audiences. [Okay, okay...I'm counting this three-part series as one really looooonnnggg article.]

2. SEOoooo….what? Improving your organization’s search engine optimization. -- Corwin takes a look at search engine optimization: what it is; why it is important; and what you can do to optimize it for your website. [And it was published on my birthday, which makes it extra special.]

3. Micro-donations: Proving Size Doesn’t Always Matter -- Joe highlights reasons and tips for starting a micro-donation campaign for your organization.

4. Social Media Spotlight: Vancouver Opera -- Amelia kicks off our Social Media Spotlight series by interviewing Ling Chan, Social Media Manager for the Vancouver Opera, about her social media strategy and experiments.

5. Online Group Discounts and the Arts - Tara unearths some of the buzz around the use of online group discount sites like Groupon and Living Social.

6. Is your organization engaging older adults through social media? -- Molly questions our assumptions about social media sites as places to primarily engage younger audiences.

7. Going Mobile - Websites vs Apps -- Reprinted from Americans for the Arts' Arts Marketing Blog Salon, I break down the differences between mobile apps and mobile websites with an eye toward where arts organizations should invest their time and money.

8. The Handheld Guide: Experimenting with Mobile Technology in Museums -- Tom digs deeper into mobile apps by exploring how they are used by and within art museums.

9. Social Media Spotlight: The Guggenheim and YouTube Play -- Thomas interviews Guggenheim Associate Curator Hanne Mugaas about YouTube Play, a biennial celebrating creative talent in the realm of online video.

10. 7 steps to a Successful Facebook Ad Campaign -- Tara discusses the benefits of and best practices for creating Facebook Ads.

My Top 4 Podcast Episodes (in chronological order)

#66 – Google Wave, Google Buzz and the iPad -- A humorous (yet informative) conversation with Brad, Amelia and me wherein I make this ridiculous prediction that the iPad was not going to take off. LOL.

#70 – Discussion of "Theatre & Social Media in 2009″ with Devon Smith -- Pat interviews Yale Repertory Theatre's Devon Smith about her research report “Theatre & Social Media in 2009.”

#71 – Audience 2.0, Smartphone Apps and Tips for Working with Developers -- Brad, Jeff and I get into a rowdy conversation about everything from the NEA's Audience 2.0 report to smartphone apps for the arts.

#78 – Seven Digital Trends and Their Implications for the Creative Sector -- My interview with thought leader and arts consultant Brian Newman about trends in the technology sector and what they (will) mean for the arts industry.

Happy New Year to all of our fans, friends, readers and listeners! We'll see you on the flip side in 2011.