Digital Design and Innovation - MIS 3504

Below are follow-up questions submitted to Amie and her responses:

1.  How do you envision the community taking part in the membership program?

We actually only want to roll out an artist membership at the moment.  But, other types of membership can be considered.  The concern with non-artist memberships is that if people who are not artists become members, they will not give additional donations to the organization beyond their membership.  However, many organizations have membership programs.  I would look online to see what organizations offer to members as a guide.  I imagine that a membership with CFEVA that is non-artist would just be form of support since we don’t have ticketed events to become free or discounted for the general public.

Artist benefits could include discounts on applications for 1.  The career development program  2.  Visiting Curator exhibition  3.  Philadelphia Open Studio Tours.  Also, we could offer discounts with partner organizations such as inliquid, Heavybubble websites for artists, etc.  Artists could also have discounts on free career counseling sessions with our staff members on professional development for artists.  And, artists could receive a discount on admission to our Direct Dialouge Lecture series (9 lectures on Professional development for artists throughout the year.)  We also plan to offer artists members a page on our website for their images and contact info, an area to list their shows and events, and an email-newsletter or access to opportunities listings on our website.

Gaining new members.  We offer so much to artists for free at this time and artists do not have much disposable income so it’s difficult.  My feeling is that all current Career Development Program (CDP) Fellows and all CDP Alumni should automatically become members when we roll it out as it’s easier to get folks to renew than to sign up in the first place.  Other than that, our challenge will be to market to new members to get them to sign up.