WESTAF Update Notes #88 | August 2016
From Anthony Radich, Executive Director
This is the 88th in a continuing series of update about the work of WESTAF
Louisiana Partners with CVSuite™
The Louisiana Office of Cultural Development has entered into a multi-year partnership with WESTAF to use extensive data from the Creative Vitality Suite™ (CVSuite). An important feature of the partnership is the development of several enhancements to the CVSuite tool, including additional creative industry and occupation codes in the culinary and restoration occupation sectors to better capture the diversity of Louisiana’s creative economy. The updates will be available in the fall. Also in development is the inclusion of ethnicity-per-occupation data so users of the tool can receive information regarding which occupations are most inclusive.
Recipients of Special IMTour™ Grants for California Presenters Announced
In July, WESTAF partnered with the California Arts Council to provide a special independent music opportunity to California presenters. The program awarded 15 presenters across California $2,500 each to present an original and contemporary musical group from outside the presenters’ home areas. Notable artist recipients of the grants included cellist and composer Zoe Keating, violinist Petra Haden, Chicano rock band Quetzal, and the Afro-Mexican-tinged Las Cafeteras. To view a full list of recipient presenters and artists, click here.
IMTour.org,a web tool designed to introduce independent musical artists to the nonprofit presenting community, is scheduled to launch in September and will open up a multitude of touring opportunities to contemporary independent musicians and the presenters who book them.
Public Art Archive™ CollectionSpace Meeting in Denver
With the support of the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation and planning and facilitation support from CollectionSpace, 25 public art experts from across the country convened in Denver on August 18-19. The purpose of the meeting was to identify ways to adapt the CollectionSpace software tool for use by public art administrators in the management of their public art collections. Once completed, the project, which is integrated with WESTAF’s Public Art Archive™, will provide public art administrators with a low-cost and very robust software system with which to manage, research, and provide access to their collections via social media.  
Registration Now Open for 2016 Symposium Observers
WESTAF’s 16th cultural policy symposium,The Status and Future of State Arts Advocacy, will convene October 3-5, in Denver. A limited number of observers will be able to attend and must register in advance by Wednesday, August 31. Observers are responsible for covering the cost of their own travel and lodging, and are asked to pay a $150 fee to underwrite the cost of meals during the event. Please note that observers are not part of the core symposium conversation; however, at the reception, dinner, and lunch breaks, they will be seated with participants and encouraged to network with them. The symposium facilitators may or may not elect to include observers selectively in the symposium conversion. Registered observers will be notified via email by September 7 and will receive additional details regarding their participation at that time. View the draft symposium agenda at: bit.ly/westaf-cps-observer-agenda.

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