Press Contact
Jim Atkinson – Program Manager, Discover Jersey Arts
609.633.1185 | jatkinson@jerseyarts.com

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
April 3, 2008

New Web Site Provides
“One-Stop Shopping for the Arts”

(Trenton, NJ) Do you ever find yourself wondering, “What am I going to do this weekend?” Are you into theater, music, dance or art exhibitions but you just aren’t sure what is happening close to home? Did you ever wish there was a quick and easy way to stay connected to the arts scene? Well help has now arrived for the millions of patrons of New Jersey’s cultural organizations.

Organizers of the State’s “Discover Jersey Arts” program recently announced the launch of a new and improved JerseyArts.com web site. As the State’s official online guide to arts and culture, JerseyArts.com now features an expanded cultural event calendar searchable by date, discipline and region; a statewide directory of cultural organizations; an online gallery highlighting the work of a new artist each month; a new Jersey Arts Podcast; and a variety of other features making it easier than ever for the public to stay connected to New Jersey’s arts scene.

“The launch of the new and improved JerseyArts.com is a real shot in the arm for arts groups here in New Jersey,” states Ann Marie Miller, Executive Director of the ArtPride New Jersey Foundation, which co-sponsors the Discover Jersey Arts program along with the New Jersey State Council on the Arts. “And it’s coming at a time when, more than ever, we need to show how important the arts are to New Jersey’s economy and quality of life.” The New Jersey State Council on the Arts echoes this sentiment. “The arts are an integral part of New Jersey,” states Steve Runk, the Arts Council’s Executive Director. “With this site patrons can not only get information on upcoming performances and exhibitions, but they can also register for free membership in the Jersey Arts Ticket program to receive discounts to selected events highlighted on the site. You can even purchase a Jersey Arts Gift Card online, which can be redeemed at more than 40 cultural locations statewide.”

Kelly Ryman, Director of Marketing & Public Relations at New Brunswick’s George Street Playhouse, realizes the potential of the site to attract new audiences. “Having a single online site for the public to discover what’s going on here in New Jersey is extremely valuable to theaters like George Street Playhouse.” She adds, “With this site you really get a sense of how dynamic our arts scene is. JerseyArts.com truly is one-stop shopping for the arts.” But it’s not just theaters that will benefit from this new web site, museums are equally enthused to have a new tool for attracting visitors. Mark Albin, Deputy Director for Marketing and Public Relations at The Newark Museum, explains, "This new web site is a culture consumer's dream come true. As a museum, we may not sell tickets like a theater or performing arts center, but we are equally interested in attracting visitors to see our exhibitions and to participate in our public programs.” He adds, “The arts are extremely relevant to people's lives and to the community, and if you want to know what’s going on in the arts in New Jersey, JerseyArts.com is the place to go.” Janet Peterson, Director of Marketing and Public Relations at Millville’s Wheaton Arts and Cultural Center, agrees, “We’re able to use JerseyArts.com to promote all of our programs. Whether it’s an exhibition, artist workshop, or one of our family events, this site gives us a public forum for promoting the wealth of options we offer the public.” She adds, “And it’s easy to use – not just for our patrons, but also for arts groups like ours. The JerseyArts.com team worked with us every step of the way, giving the arts community an opportunity to provide feedback throughout the development of the web site. In the end, I think their approach really paid off.”

This idea of close collaboration with the cultural community is also evident in the way JerseyArts.com has partnered with the Cultural Access Network, a co-sponsored project of the New Jersey State Council on the Arts and New Jersey Theatre Alliance designed to assist cultural arts organizations in making their programs and facilities accessible to individuals with disabilities. Patrons can now seamlessly navigate between JerseyArts.com and CulturalAccessNetwork.org to get detailed information on accessibility services related to events listed on the two sites. John McEwen, Executive Director of the New Jersey Theatre Alliance, explains, “When we realized that we were both in the planning stages of developing new web sites, it was clear that we should develop them together. Now the two sites are able to share data, which not only ensures patrons are getting the best possible information on cultural accessibility, but it’s also an extremely efficient and cost effective approach for our constituents.”

It’s not just arts institutions that will benefit from the new web site. JerseyArts.com also promotes individual artists through its online gallery, which features a different New Jersey artist each month. Jennie Traill Schaeffer from Newton, NJ, the site’s featured artist for April, explains what this means to her. “It’s an honor to be featured on JerseyArts.com and to be included in the company of so many other extraordinary artists.” She adds, “And, as a working artist, it’s always challenging to find new ways to get the word out about my work. Having a site like this can do so much for garnering public attention. I’m thrilled to be part of it.”

Jim Atkinson, Program Manager for Discover Jersey Arts, explains however that this is just the beginning for the new web site. “We’re already looking at ways to expand the site. While we’re confident that JerseyArts.com provides the public with a quick and easy way to find out what’s happening in New Jersey’s arts scene and get involved through our membership program, our plans are to further develop the site into an online extension of the cultural experience by adding more interactive components in the near future.” He adds, “We’ve already introduced extensions of the site on My Space and Facebook in an effort to reach out to younger audiences, but we plan to build on this idea of online social networking in the future as well.”

For more information on the Discover Jersey Arts program and its many initiatives – including Jersey Arts Ticket membership, the Jersey Arts Gift Card, the Jersey Arts Podcast, and the Jersey Arts online store – visit JerseyArts.com. JerseyArts.com operates as the online component of the Discover Jersey Arts initiative, a co-sponsored project of the New Jersey State Council on the Arts and ArtPride New Jersey Foundation dedicated to increasing the awareness of and participation in the arts in New Jersey.

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