Local artists and residents will soon be able to connect better than before on a new online art hub launching this spring.
The Guelph Arts Council (GAC) is in the process of replacing their current website with a new one which will help artists of all disciplines to promote and offer their work to the community. This project is being supported by the Canada Council for the Arts.
Patti Broughton, the executive director of the GAC, says their aim with this new platform is to represent the diversity seen within Guelph and Wellington County artists.
“We’re really trying to ensure that we are reaching out to the Guelph-Wellington arts community in all its diversity,” explains Broughton, “And when I refer to diversity, I mean in all ways, in backgrounds and demographics, but also in disciplines.”
“We are working to ensure that the digital space is appropriate and technologically-current and a place for artists and audiences to connect.”
She adds they have been thinking about updating their previous website prior to the pandemic, as it was older and not up-to-date with the current technology.
“With the pandemic, it became crystal clear that it was important that we provide a digital space that meets the expectations of artists, art organizations and audiences,” says Broughton.
With an increased use of technology in everyday life, Broughton believes that use will remain important in the years to come.
“There are certain things that we learned and experienced in the digital space that I think that people will want to hang onto, and benefit from having learned in the pandemic, ” she explains.
Besides being an e-commerce platform, the new website will also feature an events calendar, allow artists to make profiles, manage all kinds of content, and provide access to other resources for artists. Artists with their own website can also use this online hub to promote their digital platforms.
To help design the website, Broughton says they are working with a local website developer called Barking Dog Studios.
“We were very impressed with the proposal that they presented,” she says about the organization, “They’ve done some other sites for other cultural organizations and membership-based organizations that we were looking for.”
While working on the website, Broughton has also been reaching out to other artists and organizations to establish partnerships when the online hub is launched in mid to late May.
"So between the technical aspects and the outreach aspects it is a pretty big project, and we are so grateful to have some extra help."
For those looking for a specific arts experience, Broughton says they don’t need to scour the internet for information when they can just go onto their website.
“It’s more of a comprehensive, one-stop-shop for art information,” explains Broughton, “So our current site and future site have a directory that’s filterable, so if people are looking for a particular type of art form... or they like a particular type of performing arts, then they can find out what the Guelph-Wellington area has to offer in a particular discipline.”
To learn more about the online art hub, go to guelpharts.ca.
