Art and Social Media

The Internet, and social media, specifically, is turning the arts world upside-down. Traditional methods of "making it" are being abandoned as artists create their own galleries, record companies, and movies, with the fan base to go with them. Welcome to the world of Justin Beiber. In this panel, a theatre artist, a musician and a visual artist will discuss what social media tips and tricks they are using to garner success in the art world.

About Rebecca Coleman

Rebecca Coleman has been a freelance theatre publicist since 2001, working for companies like Touchstone, Ruby Slippers Theatre, Capilano University’s Theatre Department, Presentation House, Radix and Leaky Heaven Circus. An actor, writer and producer, she is also very passionate about helping artists to be better businesspeople. Since 2007, she has become increasingly interested in using social media to market the arts, and writes about the subject frequently on her blog, The Art of the Business. She has written an book called "Guide to Getting Started With Social Media for Artists and Arts Organizations", which helps newbies create a marketing plan using social networking as a tool.

About Sara Genn

Artist Sara Genn was born in Vancouver, Canada in 1972 and lives and works in New York City. After studying at York House School, Genn completed her BFA at Queen's University at Kingston, Ontario. She was awarded the British Columbia Provincial Scholarship in Visual Art and achieved the highest standing at the North American Advanced Placement Art Program. In 2003, after yearlong sojourns in Paris and Seville, Genn relocated to New York. Genn's paintings are inspired by her obsession with color relationships and patterning, and a desire to create places of vibration and reflection while honoring the act of painting and its materials. Her compositions are deceptively simple and carry a quiet energy regardless of scale. Genn's work has been featured by Nissan Infiniti and in W magazine, Tatler, The New York Post, New York Magazine, American Art Collector, and Domino. Her paintings are collected in the United States, Canada, Japan, Europe and Australia. Sara Genn is also a singer-songwriter, she fronts her eponymous chamber-pop-jazz trio in New York City and plays a 1973 Rhodes stage piano. Sara's music has been used by NBC, Honda, Burton snowboards and in independent films. She collaborates with French hip hop producer Wax Tailor and is currently working on her third album. Sara Genn is represented by the Diane Farris Gallery in Vancouver.

About Rachel Chatoor

Rachael Chatoor is a professional singer/performer who works in venues such as the River Rock casino, Boulevard casino, Vancouver Convention Centre, Commodore Ballroom etc.  Also a hobby videographer, Rachael makes creative and personal videos that not only utilize her musical abilities but also documents her journey though the entertainment world. To date her videos collectively have accumulated a total of well over 100,000 views. These videos are creative communication tools that are put up on her blog, Facebook, and Twitter along with photos, links and her own personal thoughts about any given event. Rachael resists mass emails, and is strongly anti-spam.  Instead she has chosen to grow her following organically by directly communicating with the people who find her through the interactive sites that feed her blog (Twitter, Facebook, You Tube, Reverbnation). The sincere nature of the postings and the inclusion of other people into them seems to encourage people to spread her message for her.  Being an avid fan of the creativity and talent of other artists (both famous and unknown), Rachael devotes a large portion of her blog space to sharing other peoples links and stories. This has opened up a world of inclusive opportunites that involve everything from going backstage at major concerts, sitting in on live radio interviews, being on set for the making of music videos, being asked to sing at large events, being invited behind the scenes at major recording studios, being asked to film large star studded events, given full media access, and even invited to the home of recording artists for songwriting sessions and in one case, a pyjama party. The opportunities are endless and what Rachael learned is that the message tends to spread itself when you shine the light on others. It is her true belief that you make more effective use of your time when find your niche and nuture it rather than chasing a distant elusive market that will never be yours.

About Deb Pickman

Deb Pickman is a theatre creator, professional actor, producer and arts marketing specialist. She is a co-founding ensemble member of shameless hussy productions and has toured nationally and internationally for several companies including her own. As an actor Deb is a two time Jessie Richardson Award nominee and recipient of the Vancouver Sun People’s Choice Award. Beginning with marketing her own company and building their first website in 1997, Deb later gained extensive experience in literary, visual, performing artists and events in her position as Director of Publicity and Development at Rebus Creative. Deb has a BA in Theatre from UBC and is currently Marketing & Communications Manager for Theatre at UBC. There she executes communications and marketing for a full season of plays and events, promotes the Theatre Program “Theatre at UBC” within UBC as well as to local, national and international media and audiences. She is also responsible for student recruitment initiatives. Deb thoroughly enjoys social media and loves to hear about new ideas for using it.