Audience Development

Arts Access Project

The Altria-funded Arts Access Project seeks to develop new and diverse audiences for the arts in our community. Starting in 2009, the pilot year of the project sought to increase interest and participation in the arts by offering cultural activities for citizens in low-income communities of Charlottesville. The follow-up phase of the project is a two-year initiative, running from Spring 2010 to 2012.

Based on the pilot year and related Creative Conversation series discussions, PCA has designed Arts Access strategies to increase collaboration between artists and arts organizations and groups serving low-income citizens. These strategies seek to reduce barriers to participation in the arts, develop new audiences for the arts in our community, and foster collaboration, community outreach, and diversified leadership in the cultural sector:

Arts Lead: This strategy will focus on arts leadership development by connecting artists and arts organizations with groups serving low-income citizens through an annual conference and partnerships.

Arts Reach: The emphasis of this strategy lies in creating a more effective infrastructure for sharing arts information. This will include an enhanced website directory and a monthly email (starting August 2010) detailing volunteer needs, funding opportunities, upcoming projects, free family events, free tickets, and available or needed supplies, space, etc. If you have any opportunities or resources that can be listed in the newsletter or would like to subscribe to it, please email us.

Arts Grow: Through the expansion of PCA’s Rising Star Awards to reach a more diverse array of young artists, this strategy will increase youth engagement in the arts and provide mentoring opportunities.

Arts Inspire: In order to celebrate diversity in the arts, this strategy will offer community-wide campaigns, exhibitions, and performances that showcase diverse talent.

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Publicity & Promotional Services

The thriving arts community in Central Virginia is a major contributing factor to our region’s outstanding quality of life. Piedmont Council of the Arts’ services focus heavily on promoting artists and arts organizations and providing residents and visitors with up-to-date information on the numerous cultural opportunities available here.

We support our artistic community by offering the following publicity services to artists, arts organizations, and cultural projects in the Charlottesville area:

Online Directory Listings

If you are an artist, arts organization, venue, or arts education provider in the Central Virginia area, we want your listing information! PCA strives to keep our Directories as comprehensive and up-to-date as possible.

Email info@charlottesvillearts.org to update or add your contact information to the PCA Directories.

Event Publicity

PCA’s Online Arts Calendar is the go-to web resource for arts events in Central Virginia. With over 500 events per month, and event listings up to one year in advance, no other website has such a comprehensive arts calendar. To submit an event to our Arts Calendars, email calendar@charlottesvillearts.org.

PCA’s bi-weekly email newsletter, The Arts In Your Inbox, highlights five upcoming arts events in our area. Directly reach our growing list of recipients by submitting an event for inclusion in the newsletter. PCA Members are given priority consideration, but we strive to feature a wide range of arts events in The Arts In Your Inbox.