What is this?

This blog will be a resource for recording thoughts, ideas, schemes, and anything else that develops on the way to forming a unified voice and center for the Charleston arts community. Everything presented here is subject to change.

How does this work?

There will be a designated set of authors who will be responsible for posting topics for discussion, to begin with anyone may comment on a discussion topic or suggest a new post but only the authors may post new topics (this is mostly to avoid spamming and over posting). In time this can develop into an online wiki or discussion board style web page of information and ideas, but at the moment a blog is the most direct, immediate and open way to track the development of the ideas being developed. if you have a suggestion or want to post please send email to
charlestonartscoalition@gmail.com

Saturday, December 13, 2008

The Charleston Arts Coalition by Elaine Hruska

Posted in This Month's Easel
(The Newsletter from the Charleston Artist Guild)

The Charleston Arts Coalition by Elaine Hruska

Back in the spring an open forum was held at Redux Studio to discuss the lack of affordable space in downtown Charleston for artists. Passionate individuals from within the arts community subsequently met to exchange ideas and continue the conversation; a grass-roots organization was born.

Today The Charleston Arts Coalition is a formal organization whose mission it is to unite, enhance and sustain the greater Charleston arts community. Jessica Bluestein, of the Tate Center for Entrepreneurship at the College of Charleston, is president.

The Coalition is a forum for creative individuals and organizations from all artistic disciplines to collaborate on projects, exchange ideas, and host special events, all with the goal of promoting
Our very talented and gifted artistic community.

This new organization is seeking feedback from musicians, artists, performers, dancers, architects, designers, filmmakers, writers, poets, publishers, chefs, patrons and visual & performing arts organization. A survey is being taken in order to understand how to best serve Charleston’s creative community. The organization would greatly appreciate our Guild members taking the time to visit their web site, www.charelstonartscoalition.com, to take part in this survey.

“We'’d like to hear from you. You are Charleston’s creative class, a driving force for economic development in the greater Charleston area” says Bluestein.

One of the first projects that has resulted from the formation of the Coalition is a new web site, www.CharlestonCulture.com. This interactive and comprehensive website will be a virtual home for our community to share its creativity with each other and the world.

Personally I’'m proud to be part of this new vehicle that will unite the entire arts community, support our colleague’s endeavors and allow all our voices to be heard by a wider audience. I believe the Coalition will be of great benefit to our members and I hope in turn you will be supportive of its efforts.

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Thursday, December 11, 2008

Survey Is Finished

In order to better know what Charleston's Creative Community is in need of, the CAC has put together a very quick survey.

The Coalition is seeking feedback from Musicians, Artists, Performers, Dancers,
Architects, Designers, Filmmakers, Writers, Poets, Publishers, Chefs,
Patrons, and Visual & Performing Arts Organizations. Please take our survey
so that we can learn how to best serve YOU. You are Charleston's Creative
Class, a driving force for economic development in the greater Charleston
area!

TAKE THE SURVEY and guide us with your feedback as to how the Coalition can best serve you at:

http://www.surveymonkey.com/s.aspx?sm=CB_2fxsj7reqwxU9gdQJifgw_3d_3d

The Charleston Arts Coalition
Create. Unite. Inspire.
www.charlestonartscoalition.com

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Website Update

The wonderful local web company Butter Fat (www.butterfat.net) is almost finished building the CharlestonCulture.com website for the arts community in Charleston.

WOW! This is exciting news. This site will have it all and will have it completely independently of any other single organization in Charleston, the only people that are involved in promoting the site are the volunteer members of the CAC, they do not own or control the site, YOU DO, Charleston's Creative Community. Once complete, the creative community will have control over dispersing their own information and increase the visibility of the Arts by managing their own content. Yup, no big brother watching over.

A couple things that I'm excited about:
There are no advertisements on the site.
Individual artists (not just organizations) can post their own information and update it.
There is only a $20 fee to be a member of the site (and if you can't afford this there are scholarships available). The money generated from the site is 100% used to promote the site both locally and nationally.
I think more than anything else, the calendar, which any member can post their events on, is going to be wonderful. Imagine clicking on "Friday" and knowing every art "Happening" in town from the biggest music event to a small opening that a local painter or architect is having in their living room.

It's going to be amazing and is a very needed resource for Charleston. Thank you to everyone that has been donating their time to make it happen, especially the guys at Butter Fat.

Below is a sneak peak of what it will look like.



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