DoN has been bustling around the studio getting ready for POST, Philadelphia Open Studio Tours 2011. While painting walls, rearranging furniture and making new works, DoN has been absorbed in implementing suggestions made by Todd Hestand @ The Corzo Center for the Creative Economy. DoN is improving his social networking by having DoNArTNeWs art blog synergize with the various communications options available like FaceBook (DoNArTNeWs – DoN Brewer Art Review), YouTube (DoNArTNeWs – DoNBrewerMultimedia) and Twitter (@DoNNieBeat58). By simply consolidating the information on DoN‘s homepage, DoNBrewerMultimedia, visitors now see all the options to connect with DoNArTNeWs and DoN‘s art work. writing, information, promotions and videos in one place.
The DoNArTNeWs FaceBook fan page has been a particular challenge with interesting rewards. When DoN posts a blog on DoNArTNeWs or Philly.SideArts, part of the process is “advertising” the story on Facebook, promoting the story on as many relevant art “fan pages” and “group pages” as possible. The DoNArTNeWs fan page automatically posts a tweet on Twitter and already DoN is trending with new followers. DoN has a major photography show at the Hopkins House Gallery of Contemporary Art, the FaceBook events feature is an easy way to contact all your “friends” and estimate how many people will actually show up at the event. Here’s the rub, you may have to contact each page and person individually to “like” your page, or reciprocate your link, or comment on a post. DoN asked Todd Hestand how much time he spends per day promoting Philly.SideArts on social networks, “About two hours.”
Video will be a big part of future DoNArTNeWs reports making YouTube integral to the whole. With HD quality video built into most digital cameras and smart phones, it makes sense to take a little time to make a movie, especially now that iMovie is so easy. DoN has a cache of unseen footage that has been languishing since last Summer when he had to disassemble his video suite due to unforeseen forces. But with POST forcing a studio clean-up, soon some major stories will include video clips as well as photographs and reviews.
August turned out to be a busy, creative time for DoN, making new work, participating in art shows, published in two art books, Da Vinci Art Alliance Then and Now: 1931 – 2011 (available on Amazon.com) and 175 Years of Reflection, Laurel Hill Cemetery 1836 – 2011 (available in the Laurel Hill Cemetery gift shop, really, there’s a gift shop), well received articles at the Philly.SideArts blog and a record number of page views on DoNArTNeWs. It is such an honor to be included in two books documenting art history in Philly and to be recognized as “the press” by so many galleries and artists. Thank you so much to all the fans of DoNArTNeWs, the support and feedback inspires DoN to keep it up. Look for new and improved DoNArTNeWs and Philly.SideArts stories and if you’re on FaceBook please “like” the fan pages of the organizations you support, these pages are good resources for what’s happening on the art scene in Philly and opportunities for you to participate in our burgeoning creative economy.
