The votes are in: the most popular nonprofit cause on Facebook and Twitter is…

Hold on, hold on! Before the grand reveal, a little contextual information. The Nonprofit Quarterly recently published the article, “Which causes do best on social media? That world according to Craig Newmark,” highlighting Newmark’s research on the United States’ top 50 not-for-profits (determined by Charity Navigator), their causes and which “do” social media the best. The leading not-for-profit organizations were grouped into categories of causes. Within these categories, the top 5 organizations were analyzed. The categories of causes include:

• Animal
• Children
• Cultural
• Disaster Relief
• Environment
• Health
• Veterans and Military
• Women

To report his findings and analyses, Newmark and his team at Craigconnects produced two cleverly designed infographics, “Who Rules Social Media? A Look at Social Media Impact by Nonprofit Issues" and "How the Top 50 Nonprofits Do Social Media." In addition to data and nifty graphics, the reports shed light on the staffing of these organizations, revealing that of the 21 not-for-profit organizations Newmark and his researchers personally spoke with, all but one employed either a designated full-time or part-time social media staff person. Furthermore, Newmark's research indicates

...revenue does not increase a nonprofit's visibility and interactions in the social media world. Some of the most social media savvy organizations are in the bottom quarter bracket in terms of revenue, yet they are clearly active on social media. It's about fostering conversations and interactions, not money.

The winners of the most talkative category on Facebook and Twitter (in terms of Facebook posts, Tweets and responses) are the animal and environmental causes, averaging between 88-134 Tweets per week; the loser, the veteran and military category. The winner of the most talked about category on Facebook and Twitter was again, the animal cause and the losing causes, women and veterans. Curiously, though women are the dominant demographic using social media, the “women” cause is talked about the least…

How did the cultural cause fare? The top 5 cultural organizations considered in the report were the Smithsonian Institution, the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the New York Public Library, the Metropolitan Opera and the Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts. Averaging 8 Facebook posts and 32 Tweets a week, the cultural cause ranked 5th and 4th respectively out of the 8 categories of causes. In terms of being talked about, the cultural cause ranked 5th both on Facebook and Twitter. Comparing revenues relative to social media activity of the top not-for-profit organizations, the Metropolitan Museum of Art ranked highly (considering its reported revenue of $319,054,654 is one of the lowest in the study). While the research and reports do not represent the cultural not-for-profit landscape in its entirety, excluding the hundreds of thousands not-for-profit cultural organizations that did not make the top 50 cut, the message is strong:

… the bottom line is that your main concern should be to cultivate conversations, relationships, and interactions within your own specific community, whether it’s 2,000 or 200,000 people. Work to move “your people” up the ladder of engagement, based on their needs. But know it will take an investment of staff time and resources to achieve this. These are the keys to keeping up in the fast-paced arena of social networks.

Who not only maintains, but stimulates social media activity for your Facebook and Twitter account? Do you have a designated staff person or team regularly producing your online content? If not, can you delegate the responsibility to a committed volunteer or intern? How can not-for-profit arts and cultural organizations make their online social media presence stronger and more impactful to move from 5th place to 1st? With a know-how for attracting and retaining wide audiences in playhouses, galleries, museums, halls, theaters and the like, cultural not-for-profits should have a definite advantage when it comes to the same, but online. Take a look back at your own organizations Facebook and Twitter activity over the last few months, then share your thoughts, solutions and impressions of the research with us on Facebook or Twitter.

Deconstructing, Reconstructing and Tidying Up Art

In this Wednesday's post, exhibit viewers re-choreograph Henri Matisse’s Dance II and a Swiss comedian cleans the floor of Vincent van Goh’s Vincent’s Room, Arles. Yes, you read that correctly, what I have to share today is as glorious and odd as it sounds. It has taken me quite some time to settle down long enough to write this post- I have been rather distracted by these projects and videos. I know you will be too…sorry in advance… Let’s first take a look at Intel’s newest project in its Visual Life campaign- “Remastered: A Visually Smart Production from Intel.” Showcasing the work of leading curators and innovative designers, the exhibit on display at London’s One Marylebone explores and pushes the boundaries between art and technology; more specifically, between “old art” and Intel’s newest processing technology. The result, you ask? A sound installation remake of Wassily Kandinsky’s On White II, an online application of Pablo Picasso’s Guernica, a moving image rendering of Salvador Dali’s The Persistence of Memory, a food design and photography adaptation of Leonardo Da Vinci’s The Last Supper, a visual animation of J.M.W. Turner’s Rain, Steam and Speed-The Great Northern Railway, and a stereoscopic, and 3D animation of Casper David Friedrich’s Wanderer Above the Sea of Fog (a special favorite of mine), just to name a few. Collaborating with jotta, Intel’s curatorial and creative partner, the artists “remastered” select classic works of the world’s greatest masters using digital processes to give new meaning to “old art” for a modern audience.

…The exhibition unlocks the creative potential of technology and underlines how visual masterpieces can be created with simply a mouse as a brushstroke or a screen as a canvas.

Exhibitions like these generate much discussion in both the academic and professional art world, as the issue of the digitization of art remains a hot topic of debate. What is most inspiring about these remastered pieces is the beauty in the medium. As an art history student and Italian Renaissance aficionado, I am neither offended nor resistant to the digital world’s claim it can reproduce or master painterly qualities and techniques in its own medium. It is important to view these “remastered” pieces not as competitors of the original work, but as showcases of the power, potential and influence technology has in the modern artistic process.

If you are familiar with Turner’s oeuvre, be sure to view Eric Schockmel’s 3D animation of the painting, Rain, Stream and Speed- The Great Northern Railway. Known for his unsurpassed ability to render light, Turner’s work is an experience of the Sublime, an aesthetic theory originating in the 18th-century. Schockmel’s stunning remastering addresses themes consistent in Turner’s work. But can the advanced technology of 3D modeling, animation software, Adobe After Effects and sound design create an experience of the Sublime, a theory developed in response to a level of advanced and dramatic painterly techniques? Or is it unfair to project such standards and theories on the entirely unique and individual medium of digital art? Do we need to develop a new vocabulary with which to discuss it? The artists featured have contextualized the meanings of the “old art” in today’s modern and digital age. As jotta's head of creative, Ben James stated

The broad range of work and outcomes exhibited within Remastered help demonstrate how technology is being adopted practically and conceptually by artists and designers across all disciplines. The intersection of technology and art has gone far beyond its creation on a computer to a symbiotic relationship -- one where new technology offers new opportunities to the artist or designer who, in return, provides ever-evolving experiences and contexts to our relationship with technology.

If nothing else, each artist’s unique interpretation of the work makes viewing the remastered piece and accompanying videos a worthwhile activity on this midweek, midday Wednesday (Bompas & Parr’s redesign of Da Vinci’s The Last Supper is a good place to begin, it will surely amaze you).

Ok, on to my next obsession. Have you heard of Ursus Wehrli? No? It’s okay. I had not either before viewing his TED Talk. Since then, however, I am either always a) re-watching his talk or b) mentally rearranging and reorganizing the components and forms of any given painting into tidy stacks. My new guilty pleasure is the TED Talk “Ursus Wehrli tidies up art” given by Wehrli, a Swiss comedian, cabaret artist and

…the author of Tidying Up Art, a visionary manifesto that yearns toward a more rational, more organized and cleaner form of modern art. In deconstructing the work of Paul Klee, Jasper Johns and other masters into its component parts, organized by color and size, Wehrli posits a more perfect art world

Take your Wednesday lunch break with Wehrli as he taps into your confusions and Type A tendencies when it comes to viewing and understanding contemporary art. The talk will surely elicit laughter; proceed with caution when at work.

And again, my apologies for any drastic drop in productivity at work or school as a result of time spent transfixed by the digitally remastered masterpieces or watching, and re-watching, Wehrli’s convincing contemporary art cleaning spree.

Roadside Digital Galleries: Coming to a City Near You

Every some-odd miles along the highway you zoom past a billboard for Dunkin Donuts seasonal coffees; the local hospital’s most recent, national ranking; a sexy, sleek couple drinking Jose Cuervo and a dramatic advertisement for what can only be described as a less-than-credible attorney. Firms and organizations seek to capitalize on the exposure a billboard provides their brand or service in its commanding position above and along the highway. Hoping to attract potential consumers or clients, the billboard is one of the most prominent and far-reaching means of advertising to a certain geographic location. From the morning commute to the bus ride home, and every moment between, we are inundated with advertisements in one form or another. Though the constant stream of advertisements is admittedly annoying, advertising powers our economy, encourages consumerism and inspires us to try new products and attend performances. But commute after commute, the billboards and their advertisements littered along the highway become nothing more than white noise.

The Billboard Art Project, a Virginia based not-for-profit, is temporarily reclaiming a handful of digital LED billboards in select cities across the country. Repurposing the advertising billboard as an artistic medium and a public art venue, the Billboard Art Project is marketing a different, non-commercial message

Those in-your-face and colorful canvases that you see as you sit stuck in traffic are turned over to local and international artists for a little break from everyday advertising, presenting larger-than-life art in glowing colors…You won't know what is coming next as different artists explore this medium, with the electronic canvas morphing every 6-10 seconds.

While out driving, Billboard Art Project creator David Morrison, was moved by the soothing images displayed during a screen test for one of Lamar Advertising’s (a Louisiana based advertising firm) digital LED billboards. The scrolling images were void of logos, brands, and slogans- images for images’ sake, if you will. In a domain that is typically reserved for corporations, commercial advertising and profit-driven marketing, Morrison found the images refreshing, even humanizing. Deviating from social expectations for exhibiting art and of the function of a billboard, the Billboard Art Project repurposes digital billboards to breathe new life into the daily commute- the epitome of the mundane and the expected, of the everyday and the routine.

The Billboard Art Project launched in October 2010 after Morrison successfully negotiated with Lamar Advertising for use of one of the company’s digital LED screens for 24 hours. Thanks to the digital technology of the billboard, the project promises 24 hours of a continuous stream of vibrant images, without interruption or advertisements. In an open call to doctors; cab drivers; students; clerks; professors; military personnel; hospital workers; the unemployed; designers; mail carriers; New Englanders; Pittsburghers; Texans- anyone- the Billboard Art Project invites submissions to be considered for each show. It is an all-inclusive project in which everyone is invited to participate by either submitting a work or simply driving past it. The medium becomes the message as the digital billboard disseminates art and individuality.

The project is currently showing in New Orleans, with previous exhibits in Chicago, IL; Reading, PA; Duluth, MN; Savannah, GA, Nashville, TN and Richmond, VA. Up next, the Billboard Art Project heads to Baton Rouge, LA then San Bernardino, CA. Each submission is as unique to the individual creator as the final compilation is to the city and billboard. No two shows are alike.

Bringing art to the streets in a free, public and conveniently located show, the Billboard Art Project is challenging the traditional domain for both advertising and displaying art. But is this new manifestation, the roadside digital gallery, a viable venue for art? Let us know what you think. In the meantime, keep one eye on the road and one on the lookout for a roadside electronic gallery, coming to a city near you.

Online is the New Offline: Trends in Social Media

InSites Consulting is a European consulting firm with offices in Belgium, The Netherlands, United Kingdom, Romania and a soon-to-be office in New York. The firm serves various industries from travel to media and retail to health and produces cutting-edge research focused on branding, customer experience, innovation, and marketing insights. I stumbled upon this InSites presentation (oh happy day), and subsequently, a selection of the firm’s previous presentations (look to the right of the presentation view for additional goodies). It is far too rich in its research, insight and empirical evidence to hoard for myself-it had to be shared.

Titled “Social Media Around the World 2011,” the presentation supports what we at Technology in the Arts continually emphasize for all organizations in today’s digital age and especially for not-for-profit arts organization: you can no longer ignore the power of social media.

Social media around the world 2011

View more presentations from steven van belleghem

Even in the absence of raw data (for those of us who are skeptical of the methods used to collect the data and the empirical research presented) the message is more than convincing: with such a wide and growing audience, social media is the future of branding, marketing and networking. So, take a look at the presentation and once the shock-factor of what you just read settles, share with us.

With such a high percentage of people around the world already logged in and logged on, how can you maximize the utility of online social networking tools to brand and expand your not-for-profit arts organization?

The Millennial Generation: We’ve got the power

Commissioned by the Steppenwolf Theatre Company, author and culture analyst Patricia Martin recently published the report “Tipping the culture: How engaging Millennials will change things.”Her extensive research on marketing to the generation “eclipsing Boomers and GenX” boils down to the following: the Millennials, those between the ages of 15 and 31, are more networked than any other generation and thus have the power to influence and determine the success and future of an organization. Between blogs, Facebook, MySpace, Twitter and smart phone applications, the Millennials are here, there, everywhere, with everyone, and telling you about it. Because of this, if you can catch them and grab their attention, they will market your product for you. But this is not news. The folks here at Technology in the Arts have offered compelling reasons beyond the obvious (marketing advantages) why not-for-profit arts organizations should tap into these viral networks.

Martin takes a look at the big guys, companies like Google, Ford Motors, and J. Crew, to uncover how they successfully snagged the Millennials. How has J. Crew managed to attract and maintain the 22 to 30 year old Millennials? How did Starbucks gain such a loyal following of 15 to 30 year olds? What techniques are these large, for-profit firms using to advance their brand and secure their position in the future marketplace? Using these case studies, Martin provides insight on marketing to this powerful group of young-adults, divulging what attracts them, how to include them, what they are thinking, what they want and how to engage them.

In her easy-to-digest exposé, Martin sheds light on a generation that seeks to both create and consumer content; a generation that is less interested in sitting passively in the audience than being engaged and having their input heard in the creation of the production. Martin offers the not-for-profit arts sector strategies for effective marketing to Millennials through personalized and engaging social media interactions.

So how do Starbucks and J. Crew do it?

1) Making Millennials the priority, then the brand

2) Increasing the firm’s emotional and lifestyle appeal

3) Creating a sense of belonging for customers through participation

What exactly does this mean to a not-for-profit?

Millennials crave connection, whether through broad networks and communities or through exclusive access to content that creates a sense of intimacy.

Translation: Open your backroom doors by posting video footage to Facebook of a “Day-in-the-life” of your museum director, reveal your “behind-the-scenes” preparations for an upcoming exhibition through Facebook status updates and photo uploads, or tweet from back-stage actors’ excitement moments before the opening act. For those of you theater connoisseurs, break the “fourth wall” to show Millennials you understand their desire for access to content and knowledge. Give Millennials the opportunity, through social media, to discover on their own what you are about. Martin describes this as an “egalitarian social model,” where you (the not-for-profit) and the Millennial become connected as friends and collaborators.

Once you have established a relationship with your users online, your work is only half complete. If you encourage participation online, be sure to reinforce your commitment to the Millennials and their contributions on-site by referencing user generated content in your play-bills, gallery maps, and museum guides.

There is a reason why the Broadway musical Rent and primetime TV shows such as CSI and Gossip Girl have gained momentum among Millennials: they are emotionally charged and engage Millennials in meaningful ways. Creating meaning for Millennials in your not-for-profit could begin with a blog. This forum allows for informal discussion, emotional content, and most importantly, participation. Have your blogger pose questions of substance that encourage meaningful and emotional responses in reaction to a performance or exhibit, such as “Do you agree?”, “What do you think?”, “Tell us how you feel” or “Which character did you relate to most?” By giving Millennials the unadulterated freedom to share their perspective and voice in a dynamic forum, they will have a more personalized experience with your organization.

Fulfilling the emotional desire of Millennials to be connected, heard, and have meaningful experiences will increase the retention rates for this generation in your organization. It does not require the marketing budget or quarterly revenue of J. Crew or Pepsi, just greater attention to the entire customer experience of your cultural brand (think witty videos for downloading, thought-provoking quotes for Millennials to tweet and a survey to remind them they have a stake in your future).

To the Millennials out there, what social media and technological marketing strategies have won you over? And to the not-for-profit arts organizations, how do you use technology and social media to effectively connect with them?

Not Your Grandmother’s Arts Directory

Take a look at a current report on the state of your local creative economy. The research presented will without a doubt emphasize the power of leveraging the arts on a community’s economy. Knowing this, how do we make intelligent use of the services creative individuals and organizations offer and ensure they are not wasted? How can we best connect an artist with an opportunity, the arts with our community? How do we maximize the abundance of creative talent available? Step one of one: free and easy-to-use online directories, cultural marketplaces, creative economy databases, and yup, you guessed it, social media. Utilizing online directories, artists can expand their networks virtually to an audience within and beyond the physical boundaries of their local community. Community members and those searching for creative talent can be easily connected to a musician, visual artist, performer or arts organization. Below is a sampling of online directories and registries developed to promote the arts, build networks, and create meaningful connections between artists and arts patrons.

• Pittsburgh Artist Registry: Free to join and use, the Pittsburgh Artist Registry features multidisciplinary, Pittsburgh artists and organizations. Though the registry includes only artists and organizations native to Pittsburgh, its reach is far greater, exposing artists to curators, businesses, developers and organizations worldwide.

• Matchbook.org: New England’s cultural marketplace with the end goal to ‘MATCH artists with the presenters that BOOK them.’ Get it?! A platform for a creative exchange of sorts, Matchbook.org has a user-friendly interface and a growing directory cataloging New England’s performing and visual artists, organizations, and creative venues. Those doing the booking can restrict their search using such criteria as art discipline, price range, and audience type.

•  2 Degrees Portland: Moving to Portland, Maine? Relocating a creative business? Are you an artist, inventor, performer, designer? Need help securing a place? Want more information about school districts, studio availability, or local arts grants? 2 Degrees Portland, an initiative of Creative Portland, was designed to connect creators that are soon-to-be-Portland-residents with the people they need and want to know. 2 Degrees Portland utilizes Facebook and online surveying to connect and welcome new creative residents to the city. Without a doubt, a better “Welcome to the Neighborhood” gesture than a fruitcake.

• Brooklyn Arts Council Registry of Brooklyn Artists: This expansive registry organizes Brooklyn artists across disciplines, providing both artists and consumers of the arts access to unique opportunities. For artists, registering for a listing includes membership to the online discussion community and access to the bi-weekly newsletter. For community members, educators, curators, collectors, city officials, and the general public, we can search, discover, book, hire, and love that Brooklyn talent. Additionally, users can search the Brooklyn Arts Council Directory of Organizations for a listing of Brooklyn based arts organizations (galleries, presenting institutions, performing arts schools, historical societies, etc.).

• ArtsConnection Engine: A free service of IndianaArts.org, ArtsConnection Engine (ACE) is Indiana’s cultural portal connecting artists, businesses, arts organization, and arts patrons. The site allows a user to search by artist, organization, classified listing, or event. Each category is then divided by sub-categories, for a more refined and exact search.

•  Americans for the Arts, Arts Services Directory: A national directory for use by both artists and patrons of the arts. Unlike local directories that match artists with those looking to be connected with their talent or service, Americans for the Arts provides a comprehensive listing of companies, organizations and resources to advance a community’s cultural and creative economy. The directory offers a range of search options, such as Program Area (i.e. cultural tourism or grantmaking) and Organization Type (Consulting or Regional Arts Agency) to facilitate your search.

From Portland, Maine to Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania and beyond, cities and towns are brimming with creative individuals and organizations that enrich our day-to-day lives, strengthen our economies, and revitalize our communities. Resources such as online directories and creative marketplaces provide a platform for artists and communities to connect- a mutually advantageous opportunity.

Plus, searching an online directory is nowhere near as cumbersome as flipping through the yellow pages, a la Grandma. And that’s the beauty of the intersection of technology and the arts.

How do you identify and connect with the artists in your community? How might technology better serve this connection?

From Six Degrees of Separation to Art.sy

Whether your goal is to start an art collection, expand your collection, discover a new artist, or simply to keep up with everything there is to know about your friends on Facebook, the soon-to-go-live startup website Art.sy is worth a look. So you want to be an art collector? You have been thinking about purchasing your first piece of artwork (and I do not mean the Starry Night print you purchased from poster.com…), but you do not know where, when, why, how much, what, or how to proceed. Maybe you are a veteran collector, for profit or not, and are looking to expand your collection. Let Art.sy do the work for you.

Created by Carter Cleveland, a Princeton University computer science engineer, and backed by a handful of today’s most influential players in the social media, fine arts, and technology industries, Art.sy is the newest and potentially most powerful addition to a collector’s and artist’s networking toolkit. Don’t believe me? Maybe you’ll believe some of its investors and advisers including the CEO of Google, Eric Schmidt, Twitter creator, Jack Dorsey, the owner of Gagosian Gallaries, Larry Gagosian, former executive at Christie’s Auction House, Sebastian Cwilich, and the CEO of Pandora, Joe Kennedy, just to name a few. If you are a new, online startup, it is safe to say THOSE are the names you want associated with your project. So now that we have established just how popular Art.sy is among the big wigs in the industry, let’s figure out why.

If you have ever used Pandora to search for a song or musician, you are already familiar with “genome technology” and how Art.sy will perform. What differentiates Art.sy from the rest is the Art Genome Project. A simple search for a painting will return not just the desired title, but additional works of art related to the original search recommended for you by yours truly, Art.sy. Each work in the collection is classified by various characteristics such as asking price, genre, theme, colors, period and “ism” to connect it with other paintings in the database. A search for one painting will generate a list of paintings that share similar classifications, exposing users to artists and paintings they may not have been familiar with. Linking with Facebook and Twitter, Art.sy users can share their searches and discoveries with others, educating a wider audience and strengthening the presence of art online.

For example, a search for Max Ernst’s surrealist painting The Couple in Lace would return not only the painting itself, but information on Ernst, the painting, its location, paintings of other Dadaists and Surrealists, paintings of couples by other artists, and paintings whose creators were influenced by the work and style of Ernst. Note well, Art.sy is geared more toward lesser-known and on-the-rise artists (sorry, Ernst) because its users are likely to be beginner collectors with smaller price ranges.

For each work of art, Art.sy will provide the specifics for contacting the gallery or the artist (where possible) to begin a conversation and facilitate a purchase. Making collectors of those who previously could not or did not know where to begin is just the beginning of what Art.sy has to offer us.

Since its initial launch last November, hype has only grown. The collection itself is still in development and has yet to go live, but you can visit its website to register for your official invitation to join what could be the most extravagantly marketed and led, online network making fine art accessible to the masses. Will you RVSP?