A group of 11 Eastern Michigan University students were transformed into political advocates this April. Student Organization, AMPlifying the Arts, is a group of Arts Management students who are dedicated to providing opportunities for the university's artists and arts leaders. This year, AMP sent 11 of us to Washington D.C. to advocate with Americans for the Arts at Arts Advocacy Day.
Chairman Rocco Landesman of the National Endowment of the Arts and EMU Student Org, AMPlifying the Arts.
Every year A4A rallies arts advocates from across the nation to address congress on the importance of the arts and arts funding.
AMP and Hansen Clarke, a HUGE supporter of the arts in Michigan
Asking your representatives for $155 million for the National Endowments of the Arts and $30 million for arts education is not an easy task. However, AMP Students were pretty fearless. We're a group of passionate young professionals. And many of us recently completed a course in which we studied techniques in addressing congress to support the arts.
Alec Baldwin delivered a speech at the Kennedy Performing Arts Center to inspire the advocates. He mentioned his love for gangster dancing after watching West Side Story and convinced us it was an integral part of his early days of inspiration. That's right kids, you can thank Jerome Robbins for those giggles you get on 30 Rock.
If you're not an arts advocate, you may be asking yourself...Why would we invest almost $200 million in the arts? After Arts Advocacy Day, we're able to answer that question very easily.
Keeping the arts as a part of Core curriculum in public schools is a small investment to substantial outcomes. Students who participated in 3+ years of arts activities as opposed to students who spent less than a half year, on average scored 100 points higher on SAT exams.
Hospitals that include the arts in their programming (i.e. art galleries in the lobbies, bedside performances, art classes, improv classes, etc.) consistently have shorter patient stays and happier employees. A portion of the National Endowment for the Arts supports Arts in Healthcare.
The arts creates job opportunities. Ten percent of the estimated total of arts and culture organizations accounts for over 15 thousand jobs within the state of Michigan.
Thanks to speaking skills from years of theatre, I was able to speak my mind and convey an idea to my representatives. AMP came back to EMU feeling we had really made a difference. SO CAN YOU! Click here to learn more about ArtServe and advocate everyday!
Leave comments about a piece of art that changed you. Was it a piece of literature? A scene in a movie? A set of lyrics from a Disney movie?
...Mine was when I saw Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat at the Fox Theatre in Detroit, Michigan. I was six years old and I still do theatre!
As a part of the Symposium Undergraduate Research Fellowship at Eastern Michigan University I was granted the opportunity to perform a field research project on social media. My mentor, Ken Stevens, hired me as EMU Theatre’s Social Media Specialist. Read along to gain insight on EMU Theatre’s use of social media and hopefully be inspired to apply these discoveries to YOUR organization.
In the beginning stages of my research I sat down with EMU Theatre to figure out their goals in terms of marketing. One of the goals: Increase Social Media Initiative.
As you can see, there are many social media forums, however,
I will discuss Facebook, Twitter, Youtube, Blogger, and Tumblr.
While we were accomplishing the marketing goals I was able to develop my thesis:
Steady streams of current and positive content generate an active online audience interaction.
This was my scholarly way of saying: If you post frequently and tactfully, people are going to respond.
But before we go any further there are TWO RULES that you must move apply before you venture into your organization’s social media initiative:
Do not fear your own voice. An audience does not need APA formatted blogs to appreciate the content. Let the voice inside your head spill onto your blogs and posts. Your audiences will appreciate the authenticity.
Do not fear a small audience. It is better to have a small group of people who actually care about your content, than a large audience who have no emotional investment in your brand.
Can we move on? GREAT!
One question I hear a lot when an organization is contemplating incorporating social media is, “Why would we do it?” What do organizations gain from social media? Do Facebook “likes” and Re-Tweets equal dollar signs?” Not exactly. But the benefit to a social media presence is the ACTIVE ONLINE AUDIENCE INTERACTION. You are able to interact with your customer before, during, and after their actual interaction with your product.
Personally, I use Facebook as EMU Theatre’s social media tool. It is easy to share content such as photos, videos, anecdotes, and blogs. Not to mention it has 483 million daily active users.
When I began my job in August, EMU Theatre had 218 Active Monthly Facebook Users, which means 218 Facebook users have interacted with our brand in the past month. Today, our Weekly Reach (meaning the number of people who view our content in their feed within a week) is consistently 7,500+ users (and that number continues to grow!).
How did we do it?
MORE CONTENT: Photos, videos, anecdotes, and blogs.
Recent Facebook success has come from sharing all types of content but photos particularly generate enormous amounts of responses. Your organization can do its own form of pulling back the curtain and allowing audiences to see the behind-the-scenes work. We share the entire process with our online audience from rehearsal photos, to our first rehearsals in the theatre, to show photos. We also create themed archive albums to bring back pictures from past productions.
Rehearsal
Full Performance
Many questions arise with tools such as Twitter and blogging. EMU Theatre uses Twitter to CONNECT WITH PEOPLE in 140 characters or less.
By using the #DeadMansCellPhone hashtag we were able to discover UFV Theatre, a university theatre in Canada who was also doing a production of Dead Man’s Cell Phone on the same weekend. We were able to share photos and tell each other to “Break Legs” (because sometimes Theatre People actually say that). Did this put more butts-in-seats? Not exactly. But EMU Theatre actively created a conversation about our service while enhancing business-to-business networking.
Our success with Youtube was a product of listening to our audience. We began to notice our most popular content was the promotion of our students. We embarked on a web series called Inside the EMU Actor's Studio in which I interviewed actors, directors, and designers of upcoming shows.
I had read in many social media blogs to create a series of one type of video that would appeal to a specific audience, rather than making many different videos to appeal to all types of people.
Blogging is another forum organizations claim to have “nothing to say”. This is simply untrue. A dental office could not only send postcards about new equipment, but they could blog about it too! A restaurant could commission their workers to blog about who they are and why they enjoy their job. Trust me. The content is there. Remember the first rule? Do not fear your own voice. I mean it, people! Who cares if no one reads it right away! Get ahead of the game! Challenge yourself.
Finally, we used Tumblr for our national and international reach. Simply open a Tumblr account and click around. You will see how easy it can be to connect with people from all over the world who share very specific interests such as Shakespeare, cabaret, Moliere, etc.
(Awesome photo I found on Tumblr!)
This is all great…But how do people find your content in the first place and why do they come back?
Start Tagging: "Tagging" a nifty word for a way to direct searches to your content. Each form of social media uses its own “tagging” system. I highly encourage you, whenever you open a new social media site, explore the tagging system. This will help audiences, who are looking for the content you’re posting, find your content. (These are example tags for EMU Theatre: theatre, theater, musical theater, acting, auditions, Shakespeare, cabaret, physical theatre, commedia dell arte, etc.)
STOP SHOUTING! No one cares about a mediocre post.
See. Who acts like this crazy guy? People don’t repeat ordinary information anymore. For example: Instead of posting, “Guys and Dolls opens on April 13! Don’t miss it!” Try, “When the lights come up, enter into the 1940’s. Guys and Dolls. April 13-21.” Make it about the emotion!
If you're still not convinced. EMU Theatre promoted a special late-night performance of Dead Man's Cell Phone through social media and word of mouth. The result? 180+ students attended the special event! Our social media numbers continue to grow, and we have a lot of fun producing content!
I am challenging you and your organization to pump up your social media use.Think of it as a creative task. You never know, you may learn something new about yourself or your organization. Just remember…
Wanna feel the love? It's pretty unavoidable at Beezy's Cafe in Ypsilanti, MI. Beezy's is a local brunch serving machine whose philosophy revolves around simple, honest food and top-notch service. Whether I'm preaching to the harmonious choir of Beezy Bodies or if you've never been - I'm here to promote the idea that a sense of pride can happen to a community through an honest business that has the best intentions.
THE FOOD!
(There once was a Breakfast Burrito on this plate but somehow it disappeared...)
Ladies and gentlemen and everyone in between, I am here to tell you as a health-concious student, Beezy's Cafe is the best option in town. Homemade recipes with no more than 10 ingredients. Everything is less than $8. And if you bring in a traveler's mug, you get a cup of coffee for $1! (Riiiight??)
Beezy's is open until 4pm and is known for serving perfectly portioned brunches to the town packed with starving students and artists. I'm usually found annihilating a Breakfast Burrito (eggs, chorizo, cheese, grilled to perfection) OR a Pepper & Egg Sanwich (eggs, sauteed onions and peppers, and parmasean cheese on sourdough bread) for breakfast. The best part? Breakfast is served until 2pm. Beezy's definitely knows they have customers who barely roll out of bed by noon...How thoughtful!
Lunch begins at 11am and includes salads, sandwiches, and ever changing soups that cause serious recipe envy. I usually go for a Beezy's Salad (mixed greens, pesto ranch dressing, carrots, radishes, croutons, chopped bacon, muenster cheese, sliced avocado, cherry tomatoes, red onion, sliced chicken breast and egg salad) or an Avocado Veggie sandwich (sundried tomato pesto, avocado, roasted red peppers, red onion, lettuce and tomato).
But the original reason I became hooked on Beezy's is the soup. The glorious glorious soup. Everyday Beezy's updates Facebook and Twitter announcing two Soups of the Day. Pumpkin cheddar, cream of mushroom, vegan lemon broccoli, and creamy chicken noodle are just a FEW of the alternating options.
Owner, Bee Roll, never fails and never wastes. She'll add on a soup or a special (apple cinnamon french toast, corn beef hash skillets, etc.) to make sure NO FOOD is wasted in the Beezy's kitchen.
To sum it up, you're gonna get a great meal when you come to Beezy's. So the next time you're starving before 4pm, go to Beezy's and eat some real food made by great people. It's that simple.
THE SERVICE!
Bee Roll is dedicated to the city of Ypsilanti. She is giving the community a sense of pride by providing a place where the public can hang out and eat deliciously healthy food.
It's likely to find a line outside of the inconspicuous gold mine. As my favorite Beezy's employee likes to say, "People are willing to wait because they know they're getting the best food and service in town. If they get angry that we have a line, I can point them to a few places that NEVER have a wait...And they'll see why." (heh.)
The aromas from the kitchen and trendy layout stir good moods among the customers as they gaze at the mouthwatering list of options. A friendly worker will start a conversation with you and write down your order on a ticket. You then take the ticket up to another friendly worker (who will also share an awesome conversation with you) and they will place your order. You then find a seat in one of the bustling rooms and hear your name being called...Your food is up!
THE JOY!
Whenever an out-of-towner comes to visit me in Ypsilanti, I take them to Beezy's. It makes me feel cool, okay? It makes it seem as though I make awesome choices my in life and live in a really nifty city...which I do!
If you're from Ypsi and you have yet to head over to Beezy's. Get moving, already! You can park in the lot on Washington & Pearl for FREE for two hours or you can walk (it's right across the street from Deja Vu)! OR if you're not from these parts, make a special trip for a unique experience in Ypsilanti. It'll do ya some good. Click here for a map.
That's all I have for you! Leave a comment and tell me which dish is YOUR favorite at Beezy's. And while you're at it...Check out my Tumblr!Follow me on Twitter! Keep reading...You never know...Maybe I'll blog about YOU next time...
Hello once again. I tend to blog about art events/artists I encounter. This particular post will concern my current project at hand, Dead Man's Cell Phone (Feb 3-16). Performing in a play I am simultaneously promoting has quite possibly been my nerdiest indulgence to date. (And yes, I use the adjective "nerdy" with a positive connotation.)
Let me start off by telling you a little about myself....
My name is Marissa Kurtzhals. I am 22 years old. I live in one of the best cities in the state of Michigan and I put most of my energy into EMU Theatre. I have actively participated in the theatre program (acting, crews, classes, student organizations, etc.) since I was a freshman, but it wasn't until Fall 2011 that I joined the marketing team as the Social Media Specialist.
I am a fourth year Arts Management student with minors in Theatre Communications and Marketing. I began my studies as an Accounting major and a Theatre minor until my wise pal, Charles Jabour, suggested I take a gander at EMU's Arts Management program. I was sold pretty quickly. I swiftly changed my major. And it has (literally) been the best decision I have (ever) made. I could walk you through every single amazing experience my studies have granted me like...
....but let's just stick to one thing at a time (you can check out my resume on my LinkedIn Profile).
In my earlier days at EMU Theatre, Jabour directed a small production of The Clean House by Sarah Ruhl. I immediately fell in love with the juicy yet straightforward dialogue that Ruhl paints for actors, viewers, and readers. I was cast as Lane and was forever hooked as one of Ruhl's avid cult followers.
Shortly after, my strict yet dedicated high-school theatre director suggested I read Ruhl's Dead Man's Cell Phone. He lent me his personal copy and I was immediately intrigued by simply reading the reviews listed in the index...
I also took note to the fact that Mary-Louise Parker starred in the New York Premiere of Dead Man's Cell Phone, directed by Anne Bogart (that is Thespian Gold, people).
Within 60 minutes I completed reading the script. Chills ran through my core and I started crying as I read the final stage direction. The tears were partly caused by the story itself and partly because I simply wanted more of the script. I had never encountered a work of art that encompassed so many of my interests: mortality, communication, contemporary art, theatre, romance, tragedy, comedy, irony, dark humor, action, symbolism, subtleties, and profound themes translatable to every human being.I wanted to work on this show, someday on some level.
I returned the book to my teacher. From time-to-time I'd drop the title, Dead Man's Cell Phone, in philosophical conversations about theatre or technological communication, but for the most part - I put the show in the back of my mind. One lonely day in Massachusetts, I called a friend from EMU Theatre. He then revealed that Pirooz Aghssa had announced he would be directing Dead Man's Cell Phone at EMU Theatre.
...SAY AGAIN???
That night I hopped on Amazon.com and bought a $7 used copy of the script and cracked open my collection of Sarah Ruhl scripts.
"I'm going to be a part of this show," I thought. "I don't know how, exactly, but I need to be a part of this."
Dead Man's Cell Phone no longer lived in the back of my mind. I analyzed every female character, mentally preparing myself for anything auditions would throw my way. Around the same time is when I was offered the marketing position at EMU Theatre. (Let's pause for a second and so I can tell you that I actually get some of my kicks from marketing...it gets me all giddy.)
The first semester working for EMU Theatre was smashing success. I was sent to the NAMP Conference, EMU Theatre's social media numbers were up unlike ever before, I have been blessed with life-changing mentors, and my co-worker, Emily Clarkson, and I basically get paid to have fun and tell people to come watch our friends perform. (Check out our Inside EMU Actor's Studio project!)
ANYHOW! November rolled around the corner, Dead Man's Cell Phone auditions were straight ahead, I picked out my audition monologue, entertained the idea of skipping auditions to spare myself the grief of not being cast, decided to do it anyway, auditioned, and was cast!
(only Parks & Rec fans will find this funny, and I'm okay with that)
So you know what THAT means? That means I am working on the show in every possible way I could have ever wanted. I'm writing press releases as I memorize lines. I'm hanging posters as I exercise my voice. I ask people with smart phones to Tweet photos of the fight scene (THAT I'M IN!).
Not to mention... top-notch creators, designers, directors, and staff are elbow deep in the process of the highest form of storytelling. (Oh...And one of my best friends, Eric Hohnke and I are opposites. My roommate is in the show. And there's not a single person at rehearsals that I haven't known for 3+ years.)
On Monday (Jan. 23), we begin our last week of rehearsal before we move to tech-week. Promotional videos, blogs, and tweets are being produced and I'm currently pushing an effort to increase student attendance called "Student Night". The idea is to add an extra performance of Dead Man's Cell Phone that will take place at 10pm and student tickets are Two-For-$Ten. (I'll report the results if the idea goes through!)
Dead Man's Cell Phone is a dark romantic comedy about a woman named Jean who unknowingly answers the cell phone of a dead stranger. She continues to create elaborate "confabulations" to make up for her self-imposed insensitivity as she explores the molecular afterthoughts of a man's life and his secrets within his cell phone. It has been a joy to create this character and we can't wait to show everyone how much we love this show.
(Tweet Pic of rehearsals. #DeadMansCellPhone Act One, Scene One.)
Thank you to every single person who has had anything to do with this production (and) or my involvement with this production. This show means a lot to us. It has made me stronger and has given me a fiery purpose until closing night. Show opens Feb 3. Click here for more and more info. COME SEE THE SHOW!!! WE CAN'T WAIT TO TELL YOU THIS STORY!!!
This blog is dedicated to the artists, art-lovers, and art-goers I have encountered in my life. I may blog about a concert I attended or a museum I have visited. This post will feature the works of local-Michigan-artist, Natalie Gregorarz.
"I must paint and draw to force myself through daily obstacles set in my path. However problematic life may become I find painting and drawing clear the obstructions. I feel relieved, my mind is clear and I can see my path again when I am able to clearly display my thoughts. My goal is to engulf myself in the arts and to have no greater concern other than the bettering of my skills and knowledge," said Natalie Gregorarz.
Natalie Gregorarz was born in Detroit, Michigan and has been actively practicing and studying her craft since she was a small child.
As a child, Gregorarz attended Our Lady of Mount Carmel, a Polish-Catholic school in Wyandotte, Michigan. Gregorarz inhabits the villages of Poland on a yearly basis where she expands her skills and overall techniques. In 2007, Gregorarz began undertaking free-lance mural projects. The above image is The Stations of the Cross featured at Our Lady of Mount Carmel. Metaphysical contradictions and classical skills lead to breathtaking arrangements while maintaining respectful customization.
She paints on walls. She paints on canvases. She paints on anything your heart desires.
"I develop deep appreciation for the subjects and techniques of my compositions by studying them in great detail. I am able to utilize the canvas, brushes, liquin, oil-paints, watercolor, acrylics, graphite, ink, and water to present my reality to viewers and continuously learn new forms of manipulation," said Gregorarz.
Currently a fine art major at Detroit's, Wayne State University, Gregorarz is currently accepting free-lance projects. Pricing varies due to supplies, time, and project.
(above image: Venice scene in party room)
"I want to make my work distinguishable from other artists. My recent work explores contrast through color and value, light and dark, and searches for new ways to allow paints to flow through new and experimental compositions. I am very much afraid of starting something and being wrong. But I have found that there is no such thing as an unfortunate accident. There are endless amounts of opportunities to learn because there is such a diverse amount of possibilities in my work."
If you're interested in transforming a space or hiring a Michigan painter for any sort of project, e-mail me! I will gladly facilitate the process between you and Gregorarz. She is a friendly professional who has an amazing ability to interpret your needs and make your ideas come to life (or still-life if you will).
Thanks to generous scholarships and supportive mentors, I was able to attend The National Arts Marketing Project Conference (NAMPC) in Louisville (Loo-ah-vull), KY. If we didn't get a chance to meet face-to-face OR we did and you simply can't remember the hundreds of names that ran through your ears - My name is Marissa Kurtzhals (aka @immastereo). I am the Social Media Specialist at Eastern Michigan University Theatre and I'm currently working on my undergrad in Arts Management.
Here's What I Learned at NAMPC
1) Conferencing is Intense.
Waking up served its challenges. Between the traveling, amazing conversations, informative seminars, and lots and lots of free food - fellow NAMPC-ers can probably relate to my thoughts every morning, "How am I going to make it through today?" Most of us relied on outside resources for that critical boost...
2) Arts Marketers Love Their Coffee.
Once that first sip hit my lips - I WAS GOOD TO GO! There were power stations (free coffee) throughout the day which had long lines stretched before them filled with rabid #caffeinejunkies.
3) Twitter is Awesome (Yes @unmarketing...Awesome).
One of my goals for the conference: Be Better With Twitter. Mission accomplished! My followers more than doubled and I was able to meet up with the marketing director of Stratford Shakespeare Festival just by tweeting her! It got to the point that I knew more people by their twitter names, than I did their actual names (@fuzzydinosaur, @littlewhits).
4) Everyone Else Thinks Twitter is Awesome (a Little TOO Awesome).
If you were tweeting at NAMPC - I don't really need to explain...WE TOOK OVER TWITTER! We took it over so much that we couldn't even use it! Looking back, this makes me proud, but at the time - I was not happy with this inconvenience. Luckily, I got my nerd on the day before and created a NAMPC Twitter list (@immastereo/namp) of all the tweeters who were tweeting about NAMPC. The list was able to take the lead when the hash tag - #NAMPC experienced a tremendous surge and people followed my list! Did you hear that @EMUTheatre?? They were following MY list!
5) Curiosity is Key.
As you've clearly noticed by now, this is not by any means a comprehensive summary of the content that was offered at the conference. However, I would like to share some substantial pieces of info I gathered.
On Saturday, the lunch tables were labeled so you could choose with which group to chat. Some of the tempting options included Emerging Leaders, Blogging, Advertising, and Visual Arts. I began frightfully wandering throughout the room - scanning every table - and came across...ONE OF THE THEATRE TABLES! Everyone was extremely friendly (as you can see) and we had great conversations!
7) It Doesn't Come Often...But NAMPC Sleep is Beautiful.
A belly full of room service and a brain full of ideas...this girl slept HARD every night. (This bed was more comfortable then my bed at home.)
8) Connections are Priceless.
Unfortunately, I had to leave the conference early and get back to reality (school). But on my way back to Ypsilanti, Michigan, I stopped at Danelle Cheney's apartment in Cincinnati. Danelle is a graphic designer at the Cincinnati Art Museum and one of my best pals. She let me stay with her and made me breakfast for dinner. What a pal. I met so many amazing people from some notable organizations (The Public Theater,Long Wharf Theater, Jacob's Pillow, and Arena Stage). AND I chatted with Bob Lynch...I felt like I was meeting a celebrity.
Thank you to EVERYONE who helped me prepare for my trip! Dr. Bill Fennal, Ken Stevens, Pam Cardell, Susan Badger Booth, Katherine Myers, August Rosa, Wendy Kivi, Emily Clarkson, Danelle Cheney, and Mama K.
