ArtSpark: An Arts Experiment in ABQ

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photo by Chantal Forster[/caption]

Those of us who call Albuquerque home are blessed with a diverse and very active arts community (as well as abundant sunshine and green chile!). There’s a lot of new energy fueling arts organizations and artists alike these days — this makes me wonder “Why ABQ?” Maybe it’s because New Mexico’s economy doesn’t boom and bust like California’s, although we’re having our fair share of economic downturn, including in the arts. Or maybe it’s because artists thrive when the world is challenging?

I don’t know all the reasons, but I like what I see here in terms of artistic expression, collaboration and innovation. That’s why ArtSpark is launching in ABQ — to see what works for artists and arts organizations re: new online tools like social media (Facebook, Twitter, and the rest of the gang) to engage audiences/fans in the artist’s creative process, including the big potential for micro-funding or crowdfunding. And it’s not just the internet’s potential but the interface between the virtual world and the “walking around town” physical world that’s local and proud to be ABQ.

So thanks to 12+ brave artists and arts organizations that are willing to explore this territory together, ArtSpark will launch in ABQ in 2010. ArtSpark will be blogging about this experiment as it gets rolling, including bits and pieces about the artists and their projects. Stay tuned!