Bainbridge Island has joined
the movement. Currents Online is now
one of the 50 Artsopolis platforms that Jeff Trabucco has created around the
country and abroad.
Currents Online, sponsored by Arts &
Humanities Bainbridge (AHB), joins
other cities and organizations in using Artsopolis technology to offer websites that highlight local
events, artist profiles, organizations, arts in education, public art, and
classifieds promoting jobs and auditions within the arts.
Like all ambitious ventures, Artsopolis
didn’t happen overnight.
The need was simple: to
promote a gig in bustling San Francisco.
The execution wasn’t as easy. How
do you publicize areas of the arts that aren’t always noticed by the public or
covered by the media? You come up with a
tool that’ll allow you to do just that.
Jeff Trabucco“I started Artsopolis 20
years ago in San Francisco and I was working for a dot-com startup at the
time,” said Trabucco, president of Artsopolis.
“Artsopolis uses some of that same concept [today]. “
While developing Artsopolis, Trabucco was also performing in local musical theatre, starring as Apostle No. 4 in Jesus Christ Superstar. He was looking for a way to provide a platform for local singers, dancers, and actors to post their profiles, and showcase their events. Such a platform didn’t exist. So, they built a prototype intended for cast members.
“We put it out to the public
and suddenly we were getting 5,000, 7,000, 8,000 visits per month,” said
Trabucco. “It was growing and growing and it started happening organically.”
Soon they began receiving
submissions from artists in Berkeley, San Jose, and around the Bay Area. After the dot-com, he joined the Arts Council
Silicon Valley in 2003, which subsequently merged to form Silicon Valley
Creates (SVCREATES). They purchased the prototype and intellectual
property from Trabucco through grant funding.
This took Artsopolis to the next level.
He was hired to manage the program.
In 2003 Artsopolis officially
launched. A year later, they got a phone
call from Phoenix, Arizona. They wanted
to do the same thing.
“We don’t want to do it from
scratch,” they told Trabucco. “We like
your technology.”
Since then this cultural
ecosystem, powered by Artsopolis, has expanded to 50 communities across the US
and beyond – including one in Ecuador.
In December 2017, SVCREATES
sold Artsopolis back to Trabucco. The
organization now powers its arts and culture feed through Artsopolis.
Polis – a
combining form meaning “city” is of Greek origin. Add the word arts and the result is “Arts
City.” When Artsopolis was founded, its
original tagline was, “A Metropolis of the Arts.” The idea was to convey a
sense of “expanse,” a high degree of movement, energy, and diversity. The latter was always the cornerstone of
their mission.
“It was critical that the
platform support everything from the ‘high brow’ arts in concert halls and
museums to the ‘low brow’ arts on street corners and alleyways,” said Trabucco.
Artsopolis has effectively
done so.
“It gives me a lot of
satisfaction to know that whatever we built is effective enough that it’s still
here,” said Trabucco.
Through Artsopolis,
Bainbridge Island is now part of this cultural ecosystem. Trabucco, who lives on the island, appreciates
this ‘small town’ environment.
“Bainbridge Island offers so much in terms of a creative community, educational opportunities, and natural beauty,” said Trabucco. “I breathe a little deeper here.”
INEZ MAUBANE JONES – Staff Writer for Currents and member of Currents Editorial Board
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