Almost one year ago today...

I blogged about the issue of data loss many organizations and individuals, myself included (I can kiss all those undergrad research papers saved on 3 1/2 inch floppy disks goodbye) experience due to outdated file formats. I came across an article posted to the Americans for the Arts Cultural Policy listserv detailing the same issue. The article originally appearing in the BBC News Web site, "Warning of data ticking time bomb", can be read in full by clicking on this link: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/technology/6265976.stm

Part of me feels that the idea of a "ticking time bomb" is a bit on the sensationalist side. Surely large organizations with the resources to handle that much information will figure out a way to keep the data accessible. I think the people who will get the short end of the stick unfortunately are those without the labor and/or money to figure out. Having worked in a variety of arts organizations from five-person outfits to mid-sized organizations, my impression is that there is often not enough emphasis on proper data storage.

My challenge to you is to think of how you will safeguard your organization's vital information - data about your constituents, grant recipients, financial transactions, donor histories, etc - how will you ensure the information is still easily accessible thirty years from now? It is our responsibility to make sure as much of the organizational history as possible is passed on to our successors. It would be great if we could pass it on in such a way that they can actually use it to further the mission of the organization.

It was a wonderful two weeks for Technology in the Arts...

...with the addition of two partners.

The ArtsTech Award Ceremony & Reception is exclusively sponsored by ERC Systems, a California based creator of artist registries and online event calendars. Read more about their services at www.ERCSystems.com.

The VIP Dinner is graciously supported by Fig Leaf Software, a software provider and technology consultant firm based out of Washington, DC. More information about their products and services may be found at www.figleaf.com.

CAMT staff thanks both of these organizations for their support of the conference and is pleased to include them in the array of exciting programming coming this fall.

Š

Technology in the Arts - not the only reason to visit Pittsburgh this fall

Voters chose Pittsburgh as the best destination for the arts among mid-sized cities in the June 2007 issue of American Style magazine. Visit their Web site by clicking here to read the full article. You won't want to miss any of the museums or performing arts venues this fall so plan to come early or stay late. Pittsburgh is also at the top of the list of "most livable cities" according to Places Rated Almanac.

Check out these and other accolades at http://kdka.com/local/local_file_116160520/

Don't just read about it, come see what all the buzz is about. Online registration opens soon...sign up to get the Early Bird rate!

Thank you pair Networks!

Technology in the Arts welcomes its latest supporter, Pittsburgh-based web hosting company, pair Networks. We are fortunate to include pair Networks as a Development level sponsor for the second year in a row. Please visit their Web site at pair.com for more information about their services.

Stay tuned for more sponsor announcements!

eTapestry joins the Technology in the Arts line up!

Special thanks to eTapestry for partnering with Technology in the Arts and reserving an exhibitor space. This fall, pencil time in your conference schedule to visit with a representative from eTapestry and learn more about their products and services. Better yet, click on their logo below to visit their Web site right now!

Company proposes free nationwide broadband access

M2Z, an organization with a mission to provide 95% of the population with free access to broadband wireless internet connections, was featured in a cultural policy listserv to which I subscribe. The article, originally printed in Diverse: Issues in Higher Education, examines the pros and cons of allowing one company to undertake this endeavor. Please click the link below to read the full article:

http://www.diverseeducation.com/artman/publish/article_7086.shtml

If this initiative were to become a reality, I envision enormous impact on how the majority of the population receives information. If Americans are increasingly utilizing web based tools to stay informed, the amount of internet users could skyrocket. The only question I have, though, is how many people will actually get to use the service? One would speculate that this service assumes most of the population owns a computer.

Attend an opera in New York for $5

All you have to do is accompany a teen, and buy your tickets online. Patron Technology recently featured High 5 Tickets to the Arts in their monthly newsletter as an e-marketing superstar. High 5 offers tickets to hundreds of performances and events in New York for the low price of $5 per ticket. In 2006, the New York non-profit conducted roughly 85% of ticket sales online with some tickets sold out in a matter of hours. High 5's idea of making arts more accessible to young audiences through inexpensive tickets has also spread to other cities including Columbus, OH, and Montreal. Cultivating younger audiences is a hot topic in my arts management program at the Heinz School of Public Policy and Management, so I imagine it may also be of interest to you as arts managers in the field.

It would be interesting to evaluate the effectiveness of High 5's service. Will the teens snatching tickets up today be our loyal patrons and donors twenty or more years from now? Some of my classmates believe the best way to ensure a lifelong commitment to the arts is through arts education more so than just accessibility. I agree with them to some extent, since through my own experiences, I was exposed to the wonderful world of opera in Dallas through an education program focused on introducing new (and diverse) audiences to the art form. The combination of severely subsidized tickets and education sessions made the experience complete. I doubt I would have attended an opera out of my own volition if it weren't for the empowering educational experience I had through that program.

Acquity Joins the Technology in the Arts Lineup!

A huge thank you and a warm welcome are extended to Technology in the Art's newest sponsor, the Acquity Group. Rick Nash, Managing Director of the Kansas City branch, will join us in Pittsburgh October 20-21. Acquity Group is a leading provider of business and technology solutions designed to optimize business performance. For more information, visit them at www.acquitygroup.com or in person at Technology in the Arts!

(Art) World Here I Come!

As a graduate student, I don't have a lot of free time to experience the arts in Pittsburgh. However, when I came across this program offered by the Pittsburgh Cultural Trust, I vowed to make time for the arts this school year. Keeping accessibility in mind, the Pittsburgh Cultural Trust developed a program called ARTSpassport. As a member, students are eligible to purchase $10 tickets to selected performances - a great deal when most tickets on the schedule are $30 and up!

To sweeten the deal, local restaurants agreed to offer discounts on meal tickets so hungry students can grab a bite before the show. I think this is a great way to get young people to venture into Downtown Pittsburgh and make an evening out of it.

Find out more about the Pittsburgh Cultural Trust's ARTSpassport by clicking on the following link:

http://www.pgharts.org/education/ArtsPassport.aspx

And if you have a similar program you are especially proud of, please share by commenting to this entry.

Wiki what?

Wiki is a new term for me, and the following article was very helpful in providing insight to one of many mysterious internet terms: http://www.wired.com/news/technology/0,71733-0.html?tw=wn_culture_3

If you, too, have not yet decoded this and other internet terms, join us in Pittsburgh this Fall! Erika Block will present the session, "Demystifying Technology Buzz Words", on Saturday, October 21 at 4PM on the Carnegie Mellon University campus.

Please continue to visit our Web site, www.TechnologyInTheArts.org to view the updated schedule of events and speakers.

Tessitura to exhibit at Technology in the Arts

Thank you Tessitura Software for reserving a table in the Exhibitor's Fair. Tessitura offers a variety of services and software specifically tailored to the needs of performing arts organizations. Please visit their website or better yet, visit them in person October 20-21 at Technology in the Arts! We still have room available for organizations and business to showcase products and services. If you have a product you want to share, go to the Exhibitor section of the Web site or contact us for more information.

Š

Visit Artsplash at the Exhibitors Fair!

A huge "thank you" goes out to the folks at Artsplash for reserving a table at Technology in the Arts. Artsplash is a web-based curriculum tool for teachers and students supported by the Graduate School of Education at Portland State. Please take a minute to browse their excellent Web site!

What is the cost of saving art?

In 2001, the Taliban destroyed two 1,500 year old stone Buddhas in Bamiyan. Five years later, UNESCO is proposing to rebuild the statues at an estimated cost of $30 million each. In case you are not familiar with this story, you can read more in an article featured in the Washington Post earlier this week. Several thoughts and emotions ran through my mind as I read this article. First and foremost, I was disgusted at the violent destruction that took place in the Bamiyan valley. It is beyond my comprehension to understand how humans can completely disregard the sanctity of a site and crush the culture and religion of a group of people. But there are far worse crimes against humanity happening all over the world, and so I continued to search for more articles on the stone statues.

My disgust quickly turned to despair. There are two sides to every story, and Mullah Mohammed Omar, then leader of the Taliban, has his own reasons for destroying the statues. He claims to have ordered the destruction of the statues after he was refused foreign aid for food and medical attention. Instead, money was offered solely for the conservation of the statues. You can read more about the Taliban side in an article posted by the Asia Society on Asia Source.

We may never know or understand why the statues were destroyed, however I think the bigger issue is figuring out where the people of Afghanistan go from here. I wonder if spending $30 million dollars to try to put the pieces of a statue back together is the smartest and most favorable decision. My opinion is that the money would be better spent on food, agricultural tools and medical facilities. Rather than funnel millions of dollars into the preservation of an object, why not prepare the people of the Bamiyan valley for a more stable future? I understand the need to preserve art, particularly that which reflects cultures long gone. At this point, however, the residents in the Bamiyan valley are also on the verge of disappearing. And I think preserving their lives is more important than putting back the pieces of a statue.

Arts and culture boosting local economy

Lately there seems to be an abundance of attention focused on the impact of arts and culture on local economy. I thought I would share a couple of articles I found on the Cultural Commons Web site: Think tank promotes arts as an economic draw Detroit Free Press, 7/23/2006

Creativity seen as economic key Toronto Star, 7/25/2006

This is a trend I saw in a couple of Texas cities. In 2003, the city of Dallas announced plans for the Dallas Center for the Performing Arts, an amazing collection of venues in the Arts District of downtown Dallas. Indeed 2003 was a great year for Dallas as it also marked the opening of the Latino Cultural Center and the Nasher Sculpture Center.

The sleepy town of Marfa in West Texas credits its economic revival through arts to Donald Judd. You can read more about it on TravelandLeisure.com.

Finally, I must mention Austin, my favorite city to visit in Texas. Earlier this year, the Blanton Museum of Art celebrated the grand opening of its new building with an incredible attendance of 13,000 people. Thousands of visitors also flock to the capital city every spring for South by Southwest (SXSW), an annual film and music festival in its thirteenth year. If you are looking for something off the beaten path and have some vacation time, I highly recommend visiting any of these cities.