How does new technology help the Arts - Essay Example

? How does new technology help the Arts? 26 November Introduction Over the past three decades, we are witness to rapid developments and advancements in technology (Poole, 2011). It is changing the world’s perspective of various subjects in life. Creativity, for example, is being enhanced greatly through the vast number of technologies invented. A number of basic digital hardware and software are within the financial reach of many artists, stimulating more interest, creativity and positive inspiration. The Arts are a vast subdivision of culturally stimulating and creative outlets, in which the artist expresses himself, or his perspective toward one or more aspects. There are various branches of the Arts: Visual Arts are art forms that are essentially visual in nature such as Drawing, Painting, Sculpting, Photography, Filmmaking, Computer Art, Plastic Art and Applied Arts. Literary Art involves expression through the art of written words. It is creative writing based on historical or factual information, or just original imagination, such as poetry, essays, prose, drama and autobiography. Performing Arts are art forms in which artists use their physical presence, body or voice to convey artistic expressions. These art forms include dance, music, opera, theatre, spoken word, circus arts and musical theatre. Fine Arts are art forms developed mainly for aesthetics and/or concept. Commonly included are the visual art and performing art forms, such as painting, sculpting, collage, decollage, assemblage, installation, calligraphy, music, dance, theatre, architecture, film, photography, conceptual art and printmaking. Technology, if used positively, is a massive transition from reality to creative stimulation in the Arts. It is evolving in major focus of the Arts, mainly in terms of Marketing and Public Relations. Arts Marketing Marketing is defined as a sound, effective technique for influencing behavior and creating successful exchanges (Bernstein, 2007). It involves finding new areas for improvement, new areas where an organization can develop its approach to customers in the long-term benefits of each party. Arts, in relation to Marketing, involves reflecting vision and commitment in relevance to the relationships of the customers and the organization, enhancing the artistic mission of an arts organization, building a long-standing exchange with customers and exhibiting arts as a form of creativity and passion to a specific or vast audience (Elizabeth Hill, 2003). Arts Organizations are non-profit organizations usually in the form of an association or foundation. These are formed for the purpose of developing and promoting the work of artists in various visual and performing art forms such as film, sculpting, dance, painting, multimedia and poetry. Such organizations are mainly museums, theatres, concert, and opera halls. Although these platforms have existed for centuries as a form of artists’ retreats, the development of government organizations such as the Arts Council of Great Britain, The Canada Council, The New York State Council on the Arts and the National Endowment for the Arts, have helped, as all of these organizations award grants to help promote the growth of art and culture. Arts Marketing seeks to capture an audience and advance the artistic abilities of art organizations accordingly. It aims to create inspirations for creativity and exhibit it where it is appreciated. In terms of Performing Arts, various theatres and concert halls advertise for publicity and artistic appreciation. This exhibition of creativity also helps the performing artists gain incentive to improve their skills and develop interactive abilities. As newer technologies evolve, customers have grown to expect more customized experiences of the Arts. High technology has made possible and common for people to exhibit their own art, place orders at any time of day and find virtually any kind of information they seek. The Arts organizations that use modern technologies to exhibit various forms of art (visual, performing, conceptual etc.), are experiencing rapid sales growth, particularly among new and younger audiences (Bernstein, 2007). Through technology, innovations are encouraged; new ideas are welcomed, appreciation and motivation for improvement is gained and sales growths lead to artists making a living through their passion and creativity. How new technology markets Arts Various ways to market and exhibit Art are being invented gradually. Art galleries, theatres, opera houses and concert halls, while still being availed, are being pushed down to decreased usage by the Internet. Experts have come up with an unparalleled number of ways to exhibit Art at a higher convenience and lower costs while capturing a vast audience all the same. Social Media and Online Applications To name a few; Facebook, Twitter, DeviantART and Instagram are being used to exhibit various types of art and connect people worldwide through art appreciation, criticism and exchange. These sources of marketing arts capture mostly younger audiences with raw and fresh artistic abilities. The rapidly increasing usage of Social Media in terms of arts marketing encourages new inspirations, gets creativity flowing on a whole new level, makes exhibiting art more convenient and increases social interaction among passionate artists. Adobe Photoshop, however, comes under applications used solely to perfect, tweak and edit objects of visual art to make them more appealing and captivating. These types of highly developed applications are vastly used in architecture and photography. Instagram is a recently developed application that enables the artist to edit or filter an image or visual art and publish it online for an audience to view. In terms of Literary Arts, technology has decreased the usage of expression through books, reports and articles by introducing various applications that enable writers to express themselves by uploading their works online. Amateur writers can now publish their works, whether it is a novel, short story, biography, poetry or article, online for readers to provide feedback on or buy. Similar is the case with Performing Arts. YouTube and DailyMotion.com are two examples of how performances are advertised. Aspiring performers can film, edit and upload their skills to experiment audience reaction and gain recognition globally. Technology has enabled these applications to be available at the ease of our fingertips; in personal computers, smartphones and tablets. Modern technology is shaping the audience’s expectations from the Arts. Online Exchanges Artists, who aim to sell their works of art to potentially interested customers, now have a number of websites to advertise and sell on. E-bay, to name one, enables customers online to buy tickets for arts performances, bidding for a visual arts piece and interacting directly with the artist for an exchange. Artists can advertise and sell their works for free or at a low price online, making the whole process approachable and convenient. New technology helps up-and-coming aspiring artists gain recognition and acceptance in the art world. The ability to view other artists’ work ignites inspiration and creates a muse for furthering artistic careers. The traditional ways in which people exhibit arts; art galleries, theatre plays and concerts are being availed, if not rarely, occasionally, by artists worldwide. If an artist aspires to be recognized today, he must adapt to the newer methods to reach out to his audience and gain appreciation for his work. As Michael Hammer expressed, “The hallmark of a truly successful organization is the willingness to abandon what made it successful and start fresh”(Bernstein, 2007). The benefits of successful arts marketing include clarity of organization purpose, effective organizational structure, financial and creative motivation and diversity which allow artists to flourish increasingly. Arts Management through technology; newly developed hardware and software, are designed to help stimulate interest and advance developments in its field by setting something of its basic character in an engaging, edgy and perfected form (Chong, 2010). Arts Organizations Sponsorships Art is unlimited in value, and increasing in investments. Corporate sponsors are willing to invest in arts organizations for their proposals are market-driven rather than grant focused. Arts organizations may include sponsor messages in event advertising, newsletters and programs, which creates and strengthens an emotional bond between sponsor and arts company audiences(Rentschler, 1999). Segmentation in Arts Marketing For many artists, the audience is an integral part of an artistic experience. When the audience experiences what the artist tries to communicate, the creative process is complete. In practical terms, Art that generates audiences also generates revenues. Because of this, Audience involvement is considered as a fundamental area of Arts Marketing. The main task of Arts Marketing is to motivate people to attend and observe an artist’s work, as it is a part of sharing in the artistic experience. To carry this marketing process out effectively, Arts organizations must understand the needs and desires of the targeted audience. This can be done through a Market Research, where the organization discovers information as follows: The nature of the audiences How audiences engage with and react to new artistic experiences Target marketing This information can be researched through various methods. Some of them include: Advertising on the Internet Online Survey on Social Media websites Contests on social networking and art websites Questionnaires Publicity videos and feedback The types of audiences that Arts organizations aim for can differ according to the artist’s preferences, or the organization’s position. Some of these audiences are art receptors, which mainly appreciate art as it is and are motivated to share the creative experience with the artist. Some of them are customers; an audience being involved in an exchange with an artist or an Arts organization, investing in artistic commitment, time and money. Moreover, there are audiences who seek to support or invest in arts advancement, known as stakeholders. Stakeholders help Arts Organizations gain recognition and motivate them financially to invest in themselves for the betterment of cultural society. This audience may be involved with: Local authorities Charitable trust foundations Government funding bodies Educational establishments Potential customers Business sponsors Trustees of Arts Organizations Political Environment for Arts Marketing The political environment for arts marketing determines how the world perceives an art form that is being promoted. This environment exists at three levels: local, national and international. Local Authorities are a very important source of support for the subsidized arts, providing major financial support and having significant representations on management boards. On a national perception, most political administrations value the arts as something worth promoting. They are perceived as ‘merit goods’; something of a social value but which people might not be prepared to pay for if left to themselves. The international political environment is becoming increasingly relevant to the sector as a whole. International political groups see the arts as an essential tool in cultural development (Elizabeth Hill, 2003). Art is the hallmark of a civilized and cultured nation.(1989) Branding in Arts Organizations A product or service is recognized and known by its brand. It involves using a visual design and/or name to distinguish it from competing organization. Branding of an artist’s work is a famously applied tactic to gain recognition. It creates a unique aura in itself and attracts various audiences while developing an impressive and credible identity of the artist and promoting his work. Branding is known to strengthen the power of organizations by increasing customer loyalty. A brand represents the different facets of an artist’s identity and his work. It helps achieve: Personality: Each brand reflects its own personality. Culture: The artist forms the representation of the brand’s culture and communicates it to his audience. Self-image: Each customer has a self-image that can be confirmed or improved by buying a certain brand. Reflection: Customers tend to relate to a product through branding (Ding, 2011) Public Relations Public Relations (PR) is a process of managing the flow of information between an organization and its audience. This process also includes the organization gaining exposure by using topics of public interest, news items and schemes that do not require direct payment. Finally, it is a management process that is concerned with executing a plan of action to gain public acceptance and building a good corporate image. Commonly used methods include press conferences, employee communication, industrial awards and press releases. The Role of Public Relations in an Arts Organization An arts organization is, by all means, a non-profit organization. Non-profit organizations aim to provide service and support to the public, so it naturally falls in the service sector. An arts organization mainly aims to gain recognition, share creative experiences, promote art forms and support further advancement of the Arts. Public Relations are a very important factor in an arts organization as it is concerned with public perception and helps maintain a good corporate image. This result leads to increase investors and sponsors supporting financially toward arts development, public appreciation and artistic motivation. A variety of steps are taken to form and maintain a successful public image. Strategic Planning: A process that creates effective and organized tactics to initiate public research. Research and Analysis: A step taken to understand the public’s needs and wants, and how to gain acceptance. Communicating and Goal-Setting: To set realistic objectives, apart from understanding public attitude, there is also a need to understand and implement the communication process. Knowing the Target Audience: To be clear about the targeted public and knowing the message to convey to them. Strategy and Tactics: Knowing the accurate approach to convey the message to the public. Utilizing Resources and Time: The economical and accurate way of utilizing the resources and time available. Evaluation of Result: Knowing what is to be achieved, evaluating the long-term achievements and initiating regular critical analysis for maintaining or improving the result in the future(Gregory, 2010) Modern and Popular Approaches to Public Relations Public opinion is vital to the growth of an organization. Public Relations practitioners approach different methods of forming or changing public opinions of their organizations. Recently, various strategies to maintaining successful Public Relations have evolved according to the widely popular and convenient use of modern technology. As a result, research has shown that Public Relations, as a business function, have gained higher credibility. More organizations have learned that reputation and image are paramount. The use of newsletters, press conferences and press-releases are being overtaken by a series of new tactics such as: Online interaction with clients or potential customers. Pitching stories to reporters on the Internet. Sending news releases. Holding campaigns and advertising on social networking websites to attract attention. Campaigns and Event Management Various organizations hold campaigns which concern charities, fundraising and social issues. It is an effectively active way to work toward a specific goal. For an Arts organization, holding such events are a part of recognizing the target audience, attracting potential investors and customers, maintaining a good corporate image, promoting the artist and a variety of art forms uniquely and successfully. Events like fundraisers, charity galas, gallery openings, theatrical plays and concerts are held to promote a series of visual and performing arts. It maintains the cultural image of the organization, inspires the attendees and promotes the artistic credibility of the artist. Recent methods to advertise such events include online ticket sales, promoting through Art forums and Social Media, sending exclusive invitations to clients through the Internet and posting teaser trailers or video blogs online. Bibliography Arts, A. C. f. t., 1989. American Council for the Arts. s.l.:s.n. Bernstein, J. S., 2007. Arts Marketing Insights : The Dynamics of Building and Retaining Performing Arts. s.l.:Jossey-Bass. Chong, D., 2010. Arts Management. s.l.:Routledge. Collins, n.d. Collins English Dictionary. s.l.:s.n. Ding, Z.-Y., 2011. Branding in Arts Organizations, s.l.: s.n. Elizabeth Hill, C. O. T. O., 2003. Creative Arts Marketing. s.l.:s.n. Gregory, A., 2010. Planning and Managing Public Relations Campaigns Third Edition. s.l.:Kogan Page Limited. Poole, D., 2011. Digital Transitions and the Impact of New Technology On the Arts, s.l.: s.n. Rentschler, R., 1999. Innovative Arts Marketing. s.l.:Allen and Unwin. Read More