This is the 69th in a continuing series of updates about the work of the Western States Arts Federation.

The Public Art Archive™ Partners with ARTstor
The Public Art Archive™ has partnered with ARTstor Digital Library to provide public art images and descriptive information to their subscribers. The ARTstor Digital Library serves educators, scholars, curators, librarians, and students at more than 1,350 universities, community colleges, museums, libraries, and K-12 schools in 46 countries worldwide. This partnership will increase the visibility of and access to information about public art in a way that does not currently exist. Data from the Public Art Archive™ will be sent to ARTstor and updated regularly. This flow of information will provide ARTstor subscribers with access to the Archive’s comprehensive content. To learn more about the project, contact Public Art Archive™ manager Rachel Cain at Rachel.Cain@WESTAF.org.

WESTAF’s Multicultural Advisory Committee Convenes in Los Angeles
On February 27th and 28th, WESTAF’s Multicultural Advisory Committee met in Los Angeles to discuss the vital role of emerging leaders of color within the arts community. Co-chair Estelle Enoki led a discussion about the generational change occurring in how young people of color approach their heritage and how this phenomenon could inform the work that the committee performs. The group also met with Danielle Brazell and Camille Schenkkan of Arts for LA, who work with WESTAF on the ArtJob project; Angela Gaspar-Milanovic with the Los Angeles County Arts Internship Program; and Cynthia Querio from the Getty Foundation. The purpose of the discussion was to identify ways ArtJob could be shaped into a more effective online tool for moving people of color into careers in the nonprofit arts.

CaFÉ™ Announces New Enhancements
WESTAF’s CaFÉ™ project recently implemented two significant new enhancements. Applicants can now upload audio or video files, in addition to images, with ease. Users also experience an improved image size requirement, the ability to access a larger image view, and an updated media preparation help section with new image-formatting instructions. A series of additional improvements to the site are planned, including a new graphic image for the site and the development of the ability to search the site by call type. Call-type searching is an increasingly important function, as the site has attracted a wider variety of calls.  For more information about the CaFÉ™ project, please contact Raquel Vasquez at Raquel.Vasquez@WESTAF.org

Final Additions to WESTAF’s Cultural Policy Symposium
WESTAF’s 14th symposium, Engaging Data: Arts and Culture Research in the Digital Age, will convene April 12-14 and is pleased to announce two new items. Anne Gadwa will present a paper co-authored by Ann Markusen that analyzes the efficacy of the Pew Cultural Data Project. Also, Claremont Graduate University arts management students recommended by Los Angeles County Arts Commission executive director Laura Zucker will serve as volunteers for the event. The students will staff portions of the event in exchange for participation as observers.

For additional information contact Leah Horn at Leah.Horn@WESTAF.org or call 303-629-1166.

♦ April 12-14, 2012     ♦ Omni Los Angeles Hotel at California Plaza ♦ Los Angeles, California

WESTAF is pleased to announce its 2012 cultural policy symposium, Engaging Data: Arts and Culture Research in the Digital Age. The symposium will bring together experts in the area of the use of arts and cultural data to discuss innovative ways for managing, analyzing, and using data.  Presenters bring expertise from a variety of fields, including: cultural economics, data visualization, economic development, and cultural policy.  Observers are welcome to attend for just $275, but space is limited.

If you have specific questions about how to register or complete arrangements to be an observer, please contact Leah Horn at (303)629-1166 or by email at: Leah.Horn@WESTAF.org.

The opening presentation, provided by multicultural communications authority Salvador Acevedo, tackled the question of remaining culturally relevant in changing communities.

Click HERE to see Salvador Acevedo’s presentation.

Drew Shope of Thrive Social Media guided attendees through discussion of why social media is important and which tools work best for arts festivals.

Click HERE to see Drew Shope’s presentation.

The Marketing for Makers session–lead by artist and arts business consultant Megan Auman–was designed for artists by an artist. Auman’s presentation touched on core sales philosophies and marketing techniques to help artists find plans in their respective sales plans.

Click HERE to view Megan Auman’s presentation.

• Next WESTAF Cultural Policy Symposium Announced
• The Public Art Archive’s™ New Collection Showcase Page
• WESTAF Arts Leadership and Advocacy Seminar in Washington DC
• Coming Soon: ZAPP® Onsite

• ZAPP® Onsite is Here!
• The Public Art Archive’s™ New Collection Showcase Page
• WESTAF’s 14th Cultural Policy Symposium Sessions Announced
• Visit Our Exhibitor Table at the College Arts Association Conference in Los Angeles

WESTAF Executive Director Anthony Radich recognized Daut’s contribution to the work of WESTAF, noting that “Shannon has been involved in virtually every aspect of WESTAF’s growth and development over the last twelve years.  Her involvement with our work has resulted in more progressive programs, more client-friendly software projects, and more far-sighted policy development.  She has been a tremendous contributor to the success of our organization.”

Daut had a long career at WESTAF.  One of her early projects was the management of WESTAF’s ArtJob, the 24-year-old project that seeks to link jobs in the nonprofit arts with qualified job seekers.  She followed that work with the development of CallforEntry.org (CaFE™), a successful online site that was designed to bring the solicitation and adjudication of public art into the internet age.  Most recently, she conceptualized and worked on the development of Public Art Archive™, a WESTAF website that contains a highly searchable database of public art and whose goal is to showcase all the public art in the United States.  In addition to these projects, Daut has worked closely with the Western state arts agencies to advance cultural policy throughout the region and has managed a wide variety of grant programs, professional development and cultural policy convenings, and other efforts of WESTAF.

Daut holds a bachelor’s degree film studies from the University of Wisconsin, Madison and a masters degree in communication from the University of Colorado, Denver.  She is co-chair of the Create Denver Advisory Committee, a creative economy initiative of the city of Denver, and currently serves on the governing board of the National Performance Network.

For additional information, please contact Leah Horn at leah.horn@westaf.org or call 303-629-1166.

This is the 66th in a continuing series of updates about the work of the Western States Arts Federation.

Third Annual ZAPP® Conference Wraps in Atlanta
The 2011 ZAPP® Conference was held September 18-20, 2011, in Atlanta.  The meeting featured a wide range of topics aimed at improving the administration of art fairs and buoying the success of artists selling at the fairs. Featured presenters included San Francisco-based consultant Salvador Acevedo, a leader in the field of changing demographics, who offered insights on how to attract diverse event audiences; and Crafting an MBA founder Megan Auman, a Jonestown, Pennsylvania designer, maker and educator, who presented artist marketing strategies aimed at attracting new customers and maximizing websites and social media campaigns. Additional noted speakers included Marci Rolnik of Lawyers for the Creative Arts in Chicago, who updated artists and administrators on the latest developments in copyright law affecting visual art on the Internet; and Boston-based entrepreneur Michael Salguero of CustomMade.com, an online marketplace connecting shoppers looking for fine custom items with skilled makers. For more information about the ZAPP® Conference, please contact Leah Charney at Leah.Charney@WESTAF.org.

The Public Art Archive™ Goes Mobile
The Public Art Archive™, a sophisticated, searchable online database of public art in the United States, is home to a growing number of public art collections, which you can now access from a mobile device by visiting m.publicartarchive.org in your smartphone’s browser. The new mobile site allows visitors to search for, map and obtain directions to works of public art; identify public art located near them; and share information about the works via email and Facebook.

Next WESTAF Symposium Announced
The next WESTAF symposium will be held in April of 2012 and will focus on the way data related to the arts and creative economy is collected, vetted and made available to the field.  Through its work on the Creative Vitality Index™ (CVI™) and its partnership with Economic Modeling Specialists Inc. (EMSI), WESTAF has enlarged its network to include scholars and practitioners on the cutting edge of the field.  WESTAF will bring these individuals together for a lively discussion of their work and a sharing of their perspectives on the future prospects for the collection and dissemination of cultural and creative economy data.

We are now on Twitter! Follow us using the following handles:
@WESTAF, @WESTAFCVI, @ZAPPlication, @CallforEntry, @PAArchive, @gograntsonline

For additional information, please contact Leah Horn at leah.horn@westaf.org or call 303-629-1166.

This is the 65th in a continuing series of updates about the work of the Western States Arts Federation.

The Third Annual ZAPP® Conference Convenes in September
The third annual ZAPP® Conference, a professional development opportunity for those who work in the visual arts festival field (artists, event administrators and staff, promoters, and more), will take place September 19-20, 2011, in Atlanta, Georgia. Sessions at this year’s conference feature topics such as: visual arts and copyright law, best practices for jury processes from both the artist and administrator perspectives, and online marketing for artists and events using social media and other tools. The conference will also feature a symposium in which presenters will discuss ways to re-envision and strengthen the art fair business. Tracks are available for both artists and art fair administrators, free portfolio review opportunities will be available for artists, and all are welcome—this event is not just for ZAPP® users. The ZAPP® Conference registration website and official agenda can be found here: bit.ly/zapp2011. Special day-pass rates are available for Atlanta residents. To listen to the 2010 ZAPP® Conference keynote and symposium, visit bit.ly/zapp2010audio.

On-site Scoring at a ZAPP® Event on the iPad? Coming Soon!
The ZAPP® team is now developing an on-site adjudication tool for the iPad, Android tablets, and other tablet devices. With this application, jurors at fine art fairs no longer have to carry around clunky notebooks, binders, and clipboards when scoring for Best in Show and other awards on site. The ZAPP® on-site adjudication tool will allow jurors walking a show to view a map of the event and sort by medium, booth number, or artist name. This tool also frees up staff and administration time as the juror’s on-site scores can be viewed online or exported into a spreadsheet for easy record keeping. The application displays artists’ jury images for reference, and allows the juror to score and comment on an artist’s booth presentation at the art festival. The application is undergoing one last round of internal testing and will be beta tested at events this fall.

WESTAF.org’s New Look
WESTAF recently unveiled a new website. In addition to featuring a modern look and feel, the new site includes a news page with RSS functionality, upgraded navigation, updated information, and a special password- protected area for WESTAF trustees. Visit westaf.org to take a look. We hope you enjoy the new site, and don’t forget to like us on Facebook (on.fb.me/westaf) and follow us on Twitter (twitter.com/westaf).

Public Art Archive™ Update
The Public Art Archive™ is home to a growing number of public art collections. To view the collections added to the Archive to date, visit PublicArtArchive.org. If you represent an agency or other entity that manages a public art collection, please contact Public Art Archive™ Manager Rachel Cain at rachel.cain@westaf.org or by phone at (303) 629-1166 to schedule an orientation webinar and learn more about adding a collection. Currently, there is no fee associated with adding a public art collection to the Archive. Also, you can now access the Public Art Archive™ from a mobile device by visiting m.publicartarchive.org in your smartphone’s browser. Find public art on the road and at home from your phone!

For additional information, please contact Leah Horn at leah.horn@westaf.org or call (303) 629-1166.

ZAPP® Conference 2011

♦ September 19-20, 2011     ♦ The W Atlanta-Midtown Hotel   ♦ Atlanta, Georgia

Don’t miss out: Early-bird pricing ends next week!
Take advantage of two days of professional development, educational sessions, and great networking opportunities all for the low price of $265. Register for the third annual ZAPP® Conference by Wednesday, August 17 to get the early-bird rate. Register now: http://www.regonline.com/zappconference2011

This week’s featured session: Public Portfolio Critique
In this mock jury, attendees will learn how to put their best foot forward in their application according to imaging specialist Randall Smith, professional juror Jerry Gilmore, and event administrator Nichole Smith. The panel, facilitated by Cindy Lerick, will discuss each submission in terms of composition, technical presentation, and artistic presentation.

Want to submit your work for critique? Have questions to present to the panel? Go to ZAPP now and apply to the 2011 ZAPP Conference Artwork Exhibition.

Have a friend who needs to know about the ZAPP® Conference? Forward this message on and spread the word.

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