WESTAF Update Notes #79 | April 2014
From Anthony Radich, Executive Director
This is the 79th in a continuing series of updates about the work of WESTAF
Introducing the Creative Vitality™ Suite
Building on the success of its Creative Vitality™ Index, a decade-long research project on the arts and creative economy, WESTAF is launching a new online data tool for measuring the creative economy. The new Creative Vitality™ Suite provides easy and instant access to creative jobs and industry data, cultural nonprofit financial data, workforce demographic information, and state arts agency granting data. Interactive maps and professional reporting tools in the CVSuite™ let users explore and analyze data for every ZIP Code, county, MSA, and state in the nation. For more information or to view a demonstration, please contact Ivan Frias.
Video from WESTAF’s 2014 Symposium Now Available
WESTAF convened its 15th symposium, Creativity and Innovation in Public Education, March 3-4, at architect Frank Gehry’s studio in Los Angeles. The event, hosted in collaboration with the California Arts Council, was live streamed and video is now available. Please visit our website, www.westaf.org, to link directly to the video.
2014 Arts Festival Conference to Take Place in Portland
The sixth annual Arts Festival Conference, presented by ZAPP®, will convene August 28-29 at The Benson Hotel in Portland, Oregon. The two-day conference will take place just before the award-winning Art in the Pearl Fine Arts & Crafts Festival and will offer attendees the ability to partake in dedicated professional development and also experience an artist-run fine arts show. Registration is now open at bit.ly/zappcon14. For more information, please contact Christina Villa.
Folklore Professionals Convene in Logan, Utah
The Association of Western States Folklorists (AWSF) held its annual meeting in Logan, Utah, April 10-12. Sponsored by WESTAF and the National Endowment for the Arts, this year’s conference ran concurrently with the Western States Folklore Society’s annual meeting, and attendees were encouraged to attend both gatherings. Highlights from the conference included visits to the Bear River Massacre site, an historic barn in the Bear River Heritage Area, and two local artists. Attendees also enjoyed an evening performance featuring folk songs of northern Utah and southeastern Idaho. Professional development workshops included a review of and in-depth action planning around the “Moving Toward a Sustainable Future” report completed after the 2013 conference as well as discussions related to new models for public folklore, career positioning for independent folklorists, contemporary perspectives on the future of folklore, and regional and intergenerational collaborations. For more information about the AWSF annual meeting, please contact Chrissy Deal.
Visit Our Exhibitor Table at AFTA’s Annual Convention in Nashville
Several WESTAF staff will be attending the Americans for the Arts Annual Convention June 13-15, in Nashville. Staff will be available to answer questions about current WESTAF projects and provide information about new projects. This year’s exhibitor table will feature the new Creative Vitality™ Suite, Public Art Archive™, Grants Online™, CallForEntry.org™, and the IMTour™ project. If you or someone you know would like to schedule a time in advance to talk individually with a staff member about any WESTAF project while at the convention, please email Leah Horn.
