HomeMy WebLinkAbout10/08/2015 - City Arts Commission - 17 Staff Report Cultural Arts WebsiteRECOMMENDATION: Staff recommends that:
1. The Cultural Arts division website should be accessible from the “City Departments and
Services” page on the City site;
2. The City Arts Commission review an expanded and enhanced Places for the Arts web page at the
November meeting.
DISCUSSION:
1. The current URL for the Cultural Arts site is www.newportbeachca.gov/culturalarts. This URL is
lengthy but it contains all of the pertinent keywords and is branded with the City’s name, which
makes it easy for searchers to locate. The more succinct and “catchy” www.newportbeacharts.org
is taken by the Newport Beach Arts Foundation, but other similar URLs are available. Staff’s
opinion is that the current URL is easily discoverable on the web.
2. On the City website, Cultural Arts should be listed as a department, even though it is a division of
the Library. The relationship between Library Services and Cultural Arts is undeniable and is
prevalent in many cities. However, there is a perception that the Cultural Arts website is “buried”
in both the Library and City websites and not easily discoverable. Moreover, most web usability
studies recommend that information should be accessible with a minimum number of clicks. Staff
will request that the Cultural Arts site be accessible from the “City Departments and Services” page
on the City site.
3. An events calendar that serves as a clearinghouse for arts activities in the City would also be a
helpful amenity. At the most recent Study Session, the idea of communicating all the available arts
venues, events and activities was offered by a member of the public. Staff feels that it might satisfy
some of the interest by the arts community in sharing news about the arts in Newport Beach if we
expanded our Places for the Arts page to include a list of art galleries, music venues, museums,
literary arts events, etc. The city of Coronado provides this amenity on their site:
www.coronadoarts.com. Currently, the City allows Cultural Arts to link to sites that have a
relationship with the City – either as a Cultural Arts grantee or as co-hosts or sponsors City
events. The result is a limited list that does not reflect all that is happening in City arts. The City’s
new site has a feature that can map places of interest. Staff is willing to create a sample page that
is more inclusive of local arts entities to bring back to the City Arts Commission for review.
NOTICING:
This agenda item has been noticed according to the Brown Act (72 hours in advance of the meeting at
which the City Arts Commission considers the item).
TO: Newport Beach City Arts Commission
FROM: Library Services Department
Tim Hetherton, Library Services Director
949-717-3810, thetherton@newportbeachca.gov
PREPARED BY: Tim Hetherton
TITLE: Cultural Arts Website