ArtsNow, a backbone nonprofit that works to leverage the arts and culture in Summit County to support and strengthen the region’s economic and social vibrancy, has created a new addition to its central calendar to house all of the virtual/online streaming events happening in Summit County, OH, on SummitLive365.

In an effort to support the cultural ecosystem which employs over 13,000 people in Summit County alone, ArtsNow is encouraging artists, creatives, and educators to put their events on SummitLive365.com newly curated streaming list which can be
found SummitLive365.com/categories/online-streaming/.

“Our top priority is the safety and wellness of our community,” states ArtsNow executive director, Nicole Mullet. “Our arts and culture sector did what they do best—they innovated new ways to inspire, create and engage the community—offering solace and healing, and assisting our community in combating the negative mental and physical impacts of isolation during these times.”

According to a recent report from Arts Cleveland and Ohio, over 84% of cultural organizations cancelled events and 62% of artists reported losing between $1,000-$7,000 due to the COVID- 19 pandemic.

“While there is so much that is strong in our cultural community, the reality is that our funding ecosystem is fragile,” states Mullet. “Actively supporting our artists and cultural organizations is always important – but proactive, additional support during the uncertainty of the COVID-19 crisis is essential. If an event you were planning on attending has been cancelled or postponed, consider turning that ticket into a donation to the organization instead of requesting a

refund. Additionally, use SummitLive365.com to find and contribute to local artists whether purchasing their work online or financially supporting them through a gift.”

“It has been incredible to see events come into the website,” says Vanessa Lee Abraham, Website Coordinator for SummitLive365.com. “From activities for kids to engagement for older adults to excellent artistic experiences available to all people from the comfort of their living room, we are seeing our creatives show up for the community.”

On the calendar you can find programming from cultural institutions like the Akron Civic Theatre, Akron Children’s Museum, the Akron Zoo, and the Akron Symphony Orchestra’s Radio Hour, plus calendar events like Gage House Sessions, preschool “edutainment” with Mr. Jeff, and weekly poetry readings dubbed “Soulful Sundays.”

ArtsNow, a backbone nonprofit that works to leverage the arts and culture in Summit County to support and strengthen the region’s economic and social vibrancy, has created a new addition to its central calendar to house all of the virtual/onlinestreaming events happening in Summit County, OH, on SummitLive365.

For more information on the central calendar, please visit SummitLive365.com and for resources for Summit County nonprofits, arts and culture organizations, and individual artists and gig workers can be found at ArtsNow.org/covid-19-resources/.

If you or your organization is hosting a virtual event, you may add it to the community calendar here: https://www.summitlive365.com/user/add-event/step-1. Plus, for artists and creative businesses, ArtsNow teamed up with local musician Phil Anderson to offer free online learning with details about how to get your work online and monetize it. You can find that webinar here: https://artsnow.org/free-webinar-production-distribution-live-streaming-and-getting-paid/