Only a couple days remain to register for the Oct. 12 National Arts Marketing Project workshop at UCR Palm Desert. “Big Strategies and Real Tactics for Connecting Artists, Audience, and Place” packs a full day of expert instruction on creative placemaking, audience development, and arts marketing tailored to the unique challenges and opportunities of the Coachella Valley and High Desert. Online registration is $75 per person.
Joseph Yoshitomi (left) and Ben Stone
Presented by California Desert Arts Council and Americans for the Arts and featuring Ben Stone of Smart Growth America and Joseph Yoshitomi of Straightforward Marketing and Consulting, the program includes the following components:
• Coachella Valley: Think of it as a cultural district
• The roles of the creative, civic, and business communities in our cultural district
• A tactical approach to finding and nurturing the audience you want
• Tools, resources, and evaluation for cost-effective arts marketing
• What the Coachella Valley can learn from Baltimore’s Station North Arts and Entertainment District
“This is an important opportunity for artists, arts administrators, business and tourism professionals, and city planners to come together and discover ways to unify and promote our incredible creative community,” says Christi Salamone, CEO of CDAC. “We enjoy living in a community with a robust population of artists, musicians, dancers, writers, actors, and designers. Here’s an opportunity to learn how to reach bigger audiences and transform our valley into a year-round cultural destination.”
Stone, director of arts and culture at Smart Growth America in Washington, D.C., helps communities across the country integrate arts, culture, and creative placemaking into neighborhood revitalization, equitable development, and transportation planning efforts.
Yoshitomi, principal of Straightforward Marketing and Consulting in Culver City, Calif., is former vice president of marketing strategy at TheaterMania.com, a media and technology company connecting performing arts enthusiasts with theaters around the country. He offers more than 15 years of arts administration and marketing experience, including positions at Geffen Playhouse and Geffen’s Audrey Skirball Kenis Theater.
