Around the 'Ground - Round II, Part II
Posted 12/11/2023
We don't get tired of saying it - a major factor in CreativeGround's success is always our partners. Here's our next installment of the Around the ‘Ground series where we spotlight our partnerships a few at a time. You can catch up on Part I with NH and VT, then check out our Q&A below with our friends at the Rhode Island State Council on the Arts and the Massachusetts Cultural Council:
CreativeGround: What's one situation or setting where you shared CreativeGround with a constituent?
RI: We get requests for recommendations for artists or arts organizations all the time – and we send folks right to CreativeGround! It’s a great way for people who are looking for something specific: a teaching artist that would be a good fit for their kid’s classroom, commissioning a work, hiring a person or group to perform at an event, or a place to take classes and explore.
MA: We regularly promote CreativeGround to our Local Cultural Councils and Cultural Districts as they are often on the lookout for more and different types of creative individuals and business to engage with in their cities and towns. CreativeGround is a helpful platform for them to amplify local opportunities – grant deadlines, calls-for-artists, programming opportunities, etc.
CG: Do you use CreativeGround in your own work? If so, how?
RI: Mollie (Director of Artist Programs) here. For the grant programs I oversee at RISCA, I need about 50-60 panelists to review applications every year. Since I need a wide variety of artists working in diverse disciplines and aesthetics, I look to CreativeGround to find artists and arts administrators in Rhode Island and in our nearby states. It’s a great place to find people I don’t already know about.
MA: CreativeGround is an ongoing resource in our work to support a more diverse creative sector. Through it we are able to reach a broader swath of individuals and organizations than those already in our database. Additionally, we are able to refer folks to CreativeGround as a place where they can connect with others in the region’s creative ecosystem to find more opportunities for work, collaboration, and community.
We are excited to work collaboratively with NEFA on our upcoming Cultural Asset Inventory to understand the Massachusetts creative and cultural sector in the broadest sense. The inventory will be starting with a strong foundation provided by CreativeGround.
CG: What's your favorite feature of the new site?
RI: As we see a shift in the healthcare field to acknowledge the importance and value of arts in health, I am so glad there’s a filter option for artists working in healthcare.
MA: The search filters make it easy to quickly find listings that meet so many specific needs!
CG: NEFA frequently gets requests from people outside of New England for a searchable directory like CreativeGround. Why do you think it's important for us to have this unique resource in our region?
RI: It’s an easy and fast place to send people who are looking for something – even just to browse. It’s also great for artists, for that same reason. Having one place where someone can find your work or your services AND know how to reach you is great, it brings new people who wouldn’t find you otherwise to a whole bunch of information about you!
CreativeGround is a fantastic discovery tool for both folks deeply involved in, or newly curious about, the creative economy. In our work to advance the cultural sector to other sectors (transportation, hospitality, business, etc.) having a robust resource like CreativeGround helps us show the vitality of our creative sector through both the site’s dynamic front end and the robust data set fueling it.
Thank you to all our partners for your continued support, and stay tuned for the next stop Around the 'Ground - Round III!