Auburn, Calif. – For over two years, Placer County Arts and Culture organizations have joined together in a unique collaboration to enhance, promote and encourage participation in the arts.
With the support of Placer Community Foundation, they have successfully employed a number of tools to bring greater attention to their programs, including using the same online calendar, joint outreach at community events, cooperative advertising and cross-promotion of events.
The results are striking. By the end of 2009, the organizations jointly experienced a 13% increase in audiences, in direct contrast to a 2009 report by the National Endowment for the Arts indicating the lowest public participation in arts and cultural events nationwide since 1982.
The NEA report reinforces the fact that, in a troubled economy, arts organizations are particularly vulnerable. And while this is no less true for arts organizations in Placer County, these local groups are taking proactive measures to weather the economic climate.
Motivated by a desire to raise awareness of the unique, quality arts experiences available in the region, the partner organizations recently engaged the Roseville firm Bouchard Communications to create an umbrella brand for the arts in Placer County
The new brand, Placer Arts 360, carries the tagline ‘Experience Art in All Degrees’ to convey the awe-inspiring and diverse lifestyle experiences, including nature, recreation, culture and heritage, food and wine that breathe life into arts experiences such as theater, ballet, music, fine art, children’s theater and more.
Party with the Arts, which takes place on California Arts Day, Friday, October 1 at the Blue Goose Fruit Shed, is the formal launch of the Placer Arts 360 brand. The party includes live entertainment by Totally Tapioca, Mick Martin & the Blues Rockers and Sin City, along with a Placer County Food & Wine Showcase. All the arts groups will be on hand to provide information on their programs, demonstrations and brief on-stage vignettes.
The launch will be followed by a month-long ‘Cultural Cruise’ in October, celebrating National Arts & Humanities month. A complete calendar of events may be found in Perspectives arts quarterly, or on the online calendar at PlacerArts.org.
The Placer Arts 360 organizations are: Arts Council of Placer County (PlacerArts), Arts for the Schools, Auburn Community Concert Association, Auburn Placer Performing Arts Center, Auburn Symphony, Chamber Music Alive! Civic Theatre West, Lake Tahoe Music Festival, Lincoln Arts & Culture Foundation, North Tahoe Arts, Placer Theatre Ballet, Placer Theatre Productions, Rocklin Community Theatre, Roseville Arts! Blue Line Gallery, South Placer Heritage Foundation, Take Note Troupe, and Theatre Alive!
PlacerArts is the Arts Council of Placer County, a non-profit, public benefit agency, and the designated state-local partner of the California Arts Council for the County of Placer.