This website is dedicated to the work of artists, entrepreneurs, and community activists. While working as an intern at a small cultural arts organization, I found there was a need for greater support to establish and maintain a presence online. The demand for digital services brought on by the pandemic posed major, existential questions to local galleries, community arts centers, and other non-profit art enterprises: where is our work located now? What is the core experience that we provide? How can we continue to survive and thrive?
In this project I travel between two places that I know well: western Massachusetts and my hometown of Austin, Texas. I follow two organizations, one in each place, that serve communities of artists and have continued to do so in the face of lockdowns, funding constraints, and the chaotic world of digital media and virtual place-making. They adapted their respective enterprises, which were in-person by nature, into an online format. For organizations that are based around the arts and community development, this is much easier said than done. While many companies and organizations offer services that easily translate online, there is no digital equivalent for coming face to face with a work of art, seeing a live performance, sharing food, or meeting people in a gallery without any organized pretext.
As a student at Smith College I have access to a wealth of knowledge and digital tools, some of which I have been able to bring to these organizations. I believe strongly in equitable access to these resources. I believe that grass roots organizations that work to support underrepresented artists should not be cut off from this emerging world of virtual galleries and exciting new digital arts content. They are especially suited to this emerging world because they are deeply grounded in their communities, operate with their own unique models, and have fascinating stories to tell!
This site is threefold. In the Project Background section, you will find a description of the kinds of organizations I have researched, as well as the experiences that motivated me to create this project. In Organization Stories, I present the two primary organizations that I worked with for this project, which serve as case studies. In the Digital Handbook, I present the knowledge I have amassed so far in my work experience and research that might be helpful to organization founders who are navigating the digital world in-depth for the first time. I imagine this project expanding into a larger initiative in the future, one in which I hope to invite more collaborators who work in tech, community organizing, nonprofits, the arts, and all of the overlapping worlds between.
Thank you for taking the time to explore this project. If you have any questions, you may email me at spomeleofowler@smith.edu.