Online arts calendar coming soon
Learning more about local arts organizations and events will soon be much easier with the launch of a new website, burbankarts.com.
The website is the first major project of the Burbank Cultural Arts Commission, which was appointed in October 2010 with the goal of bringing community outreach efforts for all local arts organizations under one umbrella group.
While the official launch of the site will be on May 9, local arts organizations and enthusiasts are encouraged to register on the site now and post local concerts, performances and events so burbankarts.com will be full of content prior to its debut.
“We really want that calendar to be robust,” said commission Chairwoman Lynda Willner.
Commission members will be busy during the next several weeks getting the word out about the site through posters, social media and a speaker program.
Supporters were slated to take part in Burbank on Parade by wearing large posters as body placards.
The commission will also be working with area hotels, trying to tap the tourism market.
For example, Willner said, the world’s only museum dedicated exclusively to martial arts history is in Burbank.
“People come from all over the world to see that,” she said.
Commission members hope Burbank residents will log on and support local arts organizations, something that’s not happening to a large degree right now, they say.
Barbara Beckley, producing artistic director of the Colony Theatre, said local residents don’t make up much of her patronage.
“Only 10% of our audience is from Burbank,” she said during a commission meeting Wednesday, adding that local residents do attend arts performances and events in West L.A. and Hollywood.
“There is a perception in Burbank that the arts are somewhere else,” Beckley said.
The website will also help local arts organizations better plan their events so they don’t conflict with other events in Burbank, Willner said.
When visitors register on the site, their request will be processed by a city staff member so it could take a day or two for the account to become active.
Also, each event posted must be approved by city staff to make sure no inappropriate content gets online.
