Will launch project to engage Silicon Valley arts patrons in local arts scene

SAN FRANCISCO, Oct. 13, 2011 The Bay Citizen was recently named one of five finalists in the Knight/NEA Community Arts Journalism Challenge, founded this summer to find new ways to use technology to inform and engage people in the arts.

(Logo:  http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20110120/DC33516LOGO )

The project, named Silicon Valley Arts Technica, is a three-part endeavor lead by The Bay Citizen that will feature a mapping component that visually highlights arts events, a mobile app that will allow people to add reviews, images, and comments, and a series of investigative reports probing the divide in arts funding between San Francisco and Silicon Valley/San Jose.

Partners include: Code for America, an organization that enlists the talents of the web industry to help solve core problems facing communities; and Civic Center, a design studio based in New Orleans, that blends art, design, education, research and urban planning to create spaces and tools that help people navigate their cities and improve their neighborhoods.

The mapping initiative will aim to address one of the biggest challenges facing the arts in Silicon Valley/San Jose: the lack of a flourishing culture district. The Bay Citizen will work with Civic Center to develop maps that by highlighting arts events and venues throughout the city will indicate what areas have potential as arts hubs. In conjunction with mapping existing cultural assets, Civic Center will solicit feedback from San Jose residents about what kinds of art projects and venues they'd like to see in their region.

The Bay Citizen will work with Code for America to create the app that will build on the map by enabling crowdsourcing to add reviews, comments and images to the events and institutions already highlighted. Also, some of the places included in the feature story series will be integrated into the map to further enrich understanding of San Jose's arts landscape and its future potential.

The Bay Citizen and its partner organizations will work with a consultant and receive support of up to $20,000 to develop an Idea to Action plan. In addition, they will be eligible for up to $80,000 to implement their project.

"Mobile devices, mapping technologies, and social networks have all created new methods for tracking and engaging with cultural events. This project leverages all three channels to promote the great cultural assets of San Jose and the Silicon Valley. Combined with editorial on the differences in arts funding in San Jose and Silicon Valley, we aim to strengthen the arts and cultural programming."

– Jeanne Carstensen, Managing Editor, The Bay Citizen

About The Bay Citizen

The Bay Citizen is a nonprofit, nonpartisan member-supported news organization that provides in-depth original reporting on Bay Area issues including public policy, education, the arts and cultural affairs, health and science, the environment, and more.  The Bay Citizen's news can be found online at www.baycitizen.org as well as in print in The New York Times Bay Area report on Fridays and Sundays. For more information, please visit www.baycitizen.org.

About the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation

Knight Foundation supports transformational ideas that promote quality journalism, advance media innovation, engage communities and foster the arts. We believe that democracy thrives when people and communities are informed and engaged. For more, visit www.knightfoundation.org.

About the National Endowment for the Arts

The National Endowment for the Arts was established by Congress in 1965 as an independent agency of the federal government. To date, the NEA has awarded more than $4 billion to support artistic excellence, creativity and innovation for the benefit of individuals and communities. The NEA extends its work through partnerships with state arts agencies, local leaders, other federal agencies and the philanthropic sector. To join the discussion on how art works, visit the NEA at arts.gov.

SOURCE The Bay Citizen

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