[Forum] Berkshire Arts Forum.

[Kurt Kolok]

I agree that we need to avoid duplication.  However we cannot do this if 
we're not discussing and listing the NEEDS that we all feel we have.  
Since that topic didn't seem to get any activity on this list I'd 
suggest we focus our next face-to-face meeting on creating a thorough 
list of ALL the needs of the individuals in the group/community.  I 
would like to see us literally go around the room and ask each 
individual to provide their thoughts.  Without that initial step we will 
never achieve the cohesion Ed referred to.

Re: Artstart--I'd love to see that become the true resource it is meant 
to be.  I understand resources were up in the air until recently and 
very glad to see that the grant came through for staffing.  Joshua has 
done an amazing job with berkshirevisualarts.org and ideally I think it 
would be nice to see the two sites merge--assuming Joshua doesn't want 
to keep berkshirevisualarts as a separate entity for a different 
function.  In addition to having all the right tools/info, the site 
needs to be visually appealing for people to want to use it on a regular 
basis.  If the bulletin boards and forums are not associated with one 
site they will not be used efficiently.



Edward Cating wrote:
> I love to see unbridled energy, but I think that the abundance of 
> forums - and good intentions - serves to illustrate a few points. 
> First, the arts community in NA really WILL respond to communication 
> tools, particularly if they are perceived to come from the grass 
> roots. Second, there is a pool of talent willing to help implement the 
> technological infrastructure required to make this work. Third, and 
> most tellingly, we do not yet have the cohesiveness as a community to 
> be fully aware of the resources already available.
>
> In my opinion, ArtStart, with its fully-functional web site, artists 
> listings by category, great visuals, and a connection to G51 and The 
> Berkshire Cultural Resource Center, should be the center from which 
> any new forums or group discussion boards branch off. Maybe this is as 
> simple as adding links to the various other forums on the ArtStart 
> Links page. Maybe we need to rethink the need for multiple forums. But 
> in any event, it seems a shame that ArtStart has not received more 
> interest and use. It appears as though the community wants exactly the 
> kind of portal that ArtStart is designed to be, but is somehow not 
> aware of it. Particularly when one considers Jonathan's statement, 
> "And then there is ArtStart which we were about to invest time and 
> energy into doing a lot of what you both have done....hmmm...", there 
> appear to be resources that have already been allocated to getting a 
> lot of what we all want done. We should not waste such gifts.
>
>
>
> On 3/12/07, *Jonathan Secor* <Jonathan.Secor at mcla.edu 
> <mailto:Jonathan.Secor at mcla.edu>> wrote:
>
>     Jason/Josh--
>
>     And then there is ArtStart which we were about to invest time and
>     energy
>     into doing a lot of what you both have done....hmmm...
>
>     Maybe we could all talk for five minutes.   I was about to put
>     together a
>     committee to work with Sean Riley and making ArtStart more useful
>     to the
>     entire arts community, but definitely don't want to repeat great
>     work that
>     is being done already.
>
>     jds
>
>     Jonathan D. Secor
>     Director of Special Programs at MCLA
>     MCLA's Gallery 51
>     51 Main Street, North Adams, MA 01247
>     413-664-8718
>     jonathan.secor at mcla.edu <mailto:jonathan.secor at mcla.edu>    
>     www.mcla.edu <http://www.mcla.edu>
>
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>
>
>
>
> -- 
> Edward Cating
> ------------------------------------------------------------------------
>
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>   


-- 
Kurt Kolok
Owner/Director
Kolok Gallery
121 Union Street, 1e
North Adams, MA 01247
+1 413 664 7381
kurt at kolokgallery.com
www.kolokgallery.com

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