ArtsBoston

CONTACT:

31 St. James Avenue, Suite 360
Boston, MA 02116
617 262 8632 x228
www.artsboston.org

Catherine Peterson, Executive Director

DESCRIPTION:

ArtsBoston is a relatively unsung central pillar of the entire Greater Boston performing arts community. Founded in 1975, they are today one of the nation’s leading performing arts promoters, with 170 institutional members — including 60 theatre companies, 70 orchestras, choirs and chamber music ensembles, 12 dance groups, and 13 performing arts series or venues — 87% with budgets below $1 million, 57% below $100,000. Boston excels in top-notch small and mid-sized performing arts organizations, and ArtsBoston enables that by helping with the business side of things — advertising, audience development, and ticket sales (all income to the arts groups). They created ArtsMail, the nation’s first free catalog offering advance discounted tickets (adapted in San Francisco, Phoenix and Cleveland); and BosTix, which sells day-of-the-show, half-price tickets at two outreach booths. These two programs produce $3 million annually in ticket sales. ArtsBoston secures advertising discounts in local newspapers, targeted email marketing, a shared mailing list, and professional development workshops in marketing, public relations, and advertising. To do an even better job they need some technological upgrades; wouldn’t you enjoy making investments supporting the entire performing arts community?

(2006: PROMOTING PHILANTHROPY: Charities Helping Charities)