New York's Baryshnikov Arts Center chooses GravityFree to create engaging online experience for inaugural Ringling International Arts Festival...

Sarasota, FL - Digital agency GravityFree was chosen by New York’s Baryshnikov Arts Center and The John and Mable Ringling Museum of Art to provide the online experience for the inaugural Ringling International Arts Festival, Oct. 7-11, 2009. With the incredible range of international artists scheduled to perform at the Ringling International Arts Festival it was imperative to allow the audience to interact with and learn about the artists. To share the message with various audiences GravityFree utilized many forms of digital media including a website, social media and targeted email. “We wanted to extend the rich color and impact that these artists bring from their mediums onto the web. Our main goal, with such an eclectic group of artists performing, was to deliver an engaging message to wherever the audience wanted to receive it, whether that be through a website, Facebook, YouTube, Twitter or via email. We don’t expect the audience to come to us, we listen to them and deliver the message wherever and however they request”, said GravityFree founder Scott Heaps.

Utilizing dramatic photography and video gives interactive insight into the festival’s performances. This helps visitors begin planning their attendance using the online schedule and ticketing system. Information about the Ringling Museum and it’s facilities is also provided to help visitors discover the exhibits awaiting them in addition to the festival. Out-of-town visitors can learn more about Sarasota’s diverse community and get help planning their trip. News media looking for press information, as well as organizations looking for sponsorship details, will be pleased to find the information they are looking for neatly tucked into the captivating visuals highlighting the festival.

“GravityFree’s online vision and passion for the project was incredible,” said Dwight Currie, Associate Director of Programming at the Ringling Museum. “In a very tight time-frame, they created a presence that perfectly conveys the power and creativity of the Festival.”

Brought together through a unique collaboration between The John and Mable Ringling Museum of Art and the Baryshnikov Arts Center of New York City, GravityFree is pleased to be a major sponsor for this first-time event, featuring more than 100 artists from all over the world. “We couldn’t be more thrilled to sponsor such a ground breaking collaboration”, said Heaps. “We are also pleased to be working with SRQ DAILY to publish a series of artist's profiles to introduce their readers to the performers that will be performing at the festival.”

To experience the website, sign up for announcements about the events or to participate in their online communities, visit www.ringlingartsfestival.org. Tickets are available online and at the box office.
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The Baryshnikov Arts Center (BAC) opened its doors in New York City¹s Hell’s Kitchen in November 2005. BAC serves as a creative laboratory, meeting place, and performance space for a vibrant community of artists from around the world. BAC is also dedicated to building audiences for the arts by presenting contemporary, innovative work at low or no cost to ticket buyers. The organization recently purchased a 299 seat theater in the performing arts complex, which will undergo renovation in 2009 to be transformed into the state of the art Jerome Robbins Theater. Scheduled to open in 2010, the theater will serve as an organic extension of the existing center, featuring multi-disciplinary work, emerging talent, and international artists, and including artist-centered activity that fosters creative exploration. For more information about the Baryshnikov Arts Center, please visit: www.bacnyc.org.

The John and Mable Ringling Museum of Art, Florida State University, is one of the largest museum / university campuses in the nation. It preserves the legacy of John and Mable Ringling by educating and enabling a large and diverse audience to experience and take delight in a world-renowned collection of fine art; Cà d’Zan, the Ringling historic mansion; the Circus Museums; the Historic Asolo Theater; as well as the historic architecture, courtyard, gardens and grounds overlooking Sarasota Bay on Florida’s gulf coast. For more information about the Ringling Museum of Art, please visit: www.ringling.org.