New Arts And Culture Event Web Site, Newsletters Debut
DETROIT (WWJ) -- There's a new place to go on the web for the latest in arts and culture events in the Detroit area.
The arts and culture organization Culture Source has launched Ixiti.com, a new website that already includes information on hundreds of music, arts, science and nature events.
More than 100 arts and culture organizations have already posted more than 500 events on the site, which covers seven southeast Michigan counties.
Maud Lyon, executive director of Culture Source, said her group -- made up of cultural nonprofits, from giants like The Henry Ford and the Detroit Symphony Orchestra to small local organizations and historical societies -- "have been tell us for years how much needed this was, so we have been working on this for the past three years."
And the site isn't just for nonprofits, either. Said Lyon: "Art galleries, commercial movie theaters, comedy clubs, live theater, any organization that provides arts and culture to the public can post events. It could be a church that does music for the community, or a civic center."
The effort also includes e-mail newsletters -- the weekly Ixiti Experience newsletter, which debuts Feb. 13, and Ixiti Kids, a monthly newsletter coming out the last week of the month to tell kids about fun family activities, which will roll out Feb. 26.
Said Sharon Rothwell, chair of the Masco Corp. Foundation, which provided major funding for the new site: "Ixiti is exactly the kind of collaboration that we want to see among the many arts and culture organizations that Masco supports. We saw Ixiti as a way to help all of the cultural organizations in southeast Michigan and to enable the public to take full advantage of the wonderful experiences they offer."
Added DTE Energy Foundation vice president and secretary Jennifer Whitteaker: "The foundation's support to develop Ixiti.com was the right decision on our part. The site really a reflection of the richness of the arts and culture in this region."
Additional funding came from the Ford Foundation, The Community Foundation for Southeast Michigan, The Kresge Foundation, the National Endowment for the Arts, the Michigan Council for Arts and Cultural Affairs, the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation, the HP Foundation, and the Ford Motor Co. Fund.
For a night out with friends, a date night, grandparents entertaining the kids, or baby boomers looking for something different to do, Ixiti.com is filled with hundreds of arts and entertainment options. Search for a specific type of experience (for example, "Loud And Fun" or "Quiet And Reflective"), a specific event or venue, or for a specific day or city. Users also can search for free events happening in the region. Ixiti also showcases deals, including ticket discounts and more.
Culture Source is supported with member dues and foundation gifts, and has an annual budget of about $1.1 million.
More at www.ixiti.com.
