I’ll cut right to the chase. We need your help!
Earlier this week we were excited to learn that we are a semifinalist in the ArtsFwd 2013 Business Unusual National Challenge. In order to advance to the final round, we need you to visit their website and vote for WaterFire Providence. Actually, we need you to vote for WaterFire every single day through May 31, 2013. I know it’s a lot to ask
What’s the 2013 Business Unusual National Challenge?
The 2013 Business Unusual National Challenge is an ArtsFwd initiative created “to crowdsource bright minds in and outside the arts sector to tackle the most significant challenges facing organizations today.” From their website, ArtsFwd is “looking for the kind of challenges that have no obvious solution, no set procedures, and no recognized experts – we call these adaptive challenges.”
Here’s Richard Evans, president of EmcArts, the creator of the ArtsFwd Business Unusual National Challenge explaining a little more about this competition.
Introducing the Business Unusual Challenge from ArtsFwd on Vimeo.
What’s WaterFire’s “adaptive challenge?”
You can read about our adaptive challenge on the ArtsFwd website but in brief it involves developing a new business model that gets more of WaterFire’s vast range of beneficiaries to contribute (“invest”) in the artwork so that it can continue to create significant cultural and economic impacts for the community and inspire visitors and residents alike long into the future.
WaterFire is an admission free event that has very real costs to produce. And while nearly everyone loves it, a incredibly small percentage actually support it. We need to work together to figure out a way to increase those numbers or long term sustainability will be challenging.
What can you do to help us make it to the final round?
It’s simple. Please vote for WaterFire Providence every single day through May 31, 2013.
If you would like a daily email reminder, please click here and we’ll send you something nice each morning with a link to the voting page. If you sign up for daily reminders we’ll enter your name for a chance to win one of these great prizes: An opportunity for you and a guest to participate in lighting WaterFire, a Brazier Society Experience for you and a guest or a framed photo of WaterFire signed by WaterFire creator and artistic director Barnaby Evans.*
We know we have the best friends and fans anywhere and we thank you in advance for all of your great support in the 2013 Business Unusual National Challenge!
*Three winners will be chosen at random from all of the daily reminder sign-ups.
About the author
Peter joined the WaterFire Providence team in March 2011 to co-lead the organization with Barnaby Evans, founder and executive artistic director. Previously, Peter served as executive director, ceo and board member of the American Sail Training Association (Tall Ships America). In 2006, he founded Sea-Fever Consulting LLC, a management consulting firm focused on strategy, communications and leadership development and launched the Weekly Leader blog and podcast. Prior to that he had a 20 year career in financial services working in New York, Boston, San Francisco and London. Life long mariner, photographer, hockey player and art fan, he lives in Fall River, MA with his dog Zane. Peter proudly serves as a board member of the Fall River Museum of Contemporary Art.
