Success Stories — ERC
Systems and Local Arts Agencies
In their own words: read what Arts Education Coordinator Erika Kraft of the Sacramento Metropolitan Arts Commssion had to say about their experience.
Does this sound familiar?
You are the director of an agency that
would like to add an online database to your agency’s website,
since the printed version of your directory is out
of date within a short time of its availability. You contact
several database programming companies and issue a Request for
Proposal (RFP). Every tech company you talk to assures you they
can easily create a searchable directory with online enrollment
that will serve your mission. Their bids for the job are so varied
it is difficult to get an idea of a realistic price.
The old-fashioned design process
Finally, after going through the lengthy process of selection
and approval, you select a company. You spend months meeting and
designing the system you want but find that each version of the
directory, when tested, needs major revisions. Eventually,
you have the directory on your web site, but find that maintaining
it is taking a lot of your staff’s time, it’s not as
user-friendly as you had hoped, so it’s not being used as
much as you would like and there aren’t enough listings to
get visitors to return.
Imagine a better way
Now imagine having a prototype registry already
designed that fits your needs, has been tested and re-tested and
could be customized and active on your site within a month!
The Sacramento Metropolitan Arts Council (SMAC) knew what they
wanted in the way of an online directory to serve the educational
and general communities in their region. They needed a "back
office" in order to contact their credentialed Performing and Visual
Artists and to update their approved workshop and program information. To
save staff time, they wanted the artists themselves to be able
to enter and change their general descriptions and contact info,
and to upload their own photos, sound bytes and resumes.
This is definitely the easier way to get
the registry you need for your web site!
Proclaiming “it’s a new era” and with a steady eye on achieving all aspects of its purpose, PlacerArts continues to be a catalyst for the arts and humanities in Placer County. This year they created two arts registries, a Regional Artist Registry for visual and artists and a Public Art Registry for artists qualified to create public art. Within months, 200 artists and venues had enrolled and created their web profiles. The bulk email capability allows PlacerArts to instantly connect with all the members on the registry which helps facilitate the management and success of their Auburn Art Walk and Outside the Box Programs. Being on the Registry is also a requirement to participate in the Auburn Art Walk, which allows the PlacerArts staff to easily be familiar with the artists.
PlacerArts continues its networking leadership by helping the Sierra Nevada Arts Alliance create its own Arts Registry, a goal for April 2008.
Artists experience success too.
Artists already have their own success stories from being on the Arts Registry. Several works were purchased during the Studio Tours Weekend (from people who learned about the tour from the registry), and artists have received emails about possible commissions, interest in particular pieces, or invitations to be featured in future gallery shows.
One “cop by day and artist by night” sold a very large original charcoal to someone in Kentucky who found him through the PlacerArts Regional Registry. Another registry member received an email from an architectural firm in Pennsylvania who had “Googled” some key words for a special project and located this expert on PlacerArts Public Arts. The registries open doors for everyone! |
