Celebrity Series of Boston and GrubStreet Launch ArtsCard Boston: A New Mobile App Connecting Young Adults to the Arts

Celebrity Series of Boston and GrubStreet have partnered to launch ArtsCard Boston, the app that’s changing how arts lovers 35 and under can find and share can’t-miss arts and culture events in Boston. ArtsCard Boston provides exclusive pricing to top arts institutions and events, making it easier than ever for young adults to discover, engage, and belong within the city’s creative community.

Powered by easy-connect mobile technology (creators of Roundabout Theatre’s HipTix app, the Metropolitan Opera app, and popular young audience apps in Berlin and Vienna), the ArtsCard Boston app simplifies access to local cultural experiences by offering a mobile-first platform featuring events and special offers from multiple arts organizations in one place. Collaborative social features that foster a sense of community among young arts enthusiasts live alongside cross-promoted opportunities, allowing organizations to engage a broader audience.

Through this initiative, Celebrity Series of Boston and GrubStreet aim to expand and attract new young adult patrons to their respective young professional programs such as Celebrity Series of Boston’s $35 Under 35 program, and GrubStreet’s Under 35 Membership. The app digitizes the experience of participating, providing digital membership verification, digital tickets, and more, aligning the audiences' desired mobile experience with cultural organization’s offerings.

The partnership includes a launch event for members and the community on April 23 at Grub Street’s Center for Creative Writing in the Seaport. The party includes complimentary drinks, tasty bites, and live performances by poet Mckendy Fils-Aimé and harpist Eduardo Betancourt—plus a first look at the ArtsCard Boston app. RSVP and more information may be found here.

The ArtsCard Boston app development and launch is supported by the Barr Foundation’s ArtsAmplified Collaboration Grant. The ArtsAmplified initiative elevates the essential role of the arts and creative industries in bringing communities together to envision and build better futures.

Gary Dunning, President and Executive Director of Celebrity Series of Boston says, “With ArtsCard Boston, we’re reimagining how young adults connect with the arts in our city. This collaboration is about making the arts more accessible, social, and easier to navigate. We’re proud to partner with GrubStreet and the Barr Foundation to help build a more connected arts community for Boston’s next generation of arts-goers, and would be thrilled to welcome more organizations into the app.”

"Making Boston's vibrant arts scene as accessible as possible to younger audiences is critical. With the ArtsCard Boston app, GrubStreet is excited to partner with Celebrity Series to make it easier than ever to connect under 35 audiences to the arts and to each other," said Eve Bridburg, Founder & Executive Director of GrubStreet.

San San Wong, the Barr Foundation’s Director of Arts & Creativity, adds, "This exciting collaboration between Celebrity Series and GrubStreet sets the stage for openness, creativity, and mutual learning. It’s inspiring to see how this partnership is tackling a shared challenge of bringing young audiences to the arts in innovative ways. The pilot projects funded by the ArtsAmplified grant have the potential to inform the broader arts field and deepen the impact of community-rooted work."

The ArtsCard Boston app is now available for download on the Apple App Store and Google Play Store. To learn more, visit: ArtsCardBoston.com

ABOUT CELEBRITY SERIES OF BOSTON

Celebrity Series of Boston was founded in 1938 by pianist and impresario Aaron Richmond. Celebrity Series has been bringing the very best performers—from orchestras and chamber ensembles, vocal and piano music, to dance companies, jazz, and more—to Boston’s major concert halls for 86 years. Celebrity Series of Boston believes in the power of excellence and innovation in the performing arts to enrich life experiences, transform lives, and build better communities. Through its education initiatives, Celebrity Series seeks to build a community of Greater Boston where the performing arts are a valued, lifelong, shared experience—on stages, on streets, in neighborhoods—everywhere. Learn more at celebrityseries.org.

ABOUT GRUBSTREET CENTER FOR CREATIVE WRITING

Founded in 1997, GrubStreet is the nation’s leading independent creative writing center. GrubStreet is the place where writers develop their craft – and themselves – through the power of writing and sharing their work. GrubStreet offers creative writing programs and events for writers from all backgrounds and ages at its Center for Creative Writing in the Seaport, in many Boston neighborhoods, and online. Scholarships are available for all offerings, and many programs are free. At its center, GrubStreet also hosts a community lounge, a podcast studio, Porter Square Books: Boston Edition, a cafe, and a Writers’ Stage. Learn more at grubstreet.org.

ABOUT EASYCONNECT

easy-connect works with leading arts organizations in Europe and the U.S. including the Metropolitan Opera, Roundabout Theatre NYC, Berlin Philharmonic, Salzburg Festival, Vienna State Opera, and many others, to help them retain and attract (new) audiences. By transforming personalized content presentation based on audience segment, including social and community features and championing an integrated, smartphone-first approach, we’re putting NextGen audiences centre-stage. At the core are real-time interfaces to existing ticketing systems, therefore enabling a seamless integration and providing organizations with all available customer data and analytics. Learn more at easy-connect.io.

CELEBRITY SERIES OF BOSTON SPONSORS

Celebrity Series of Boston is grateful to 2024/25 Season Sponsors Crescendo Donor Advised Fund and Susan & Michael Thonis, and to the many individuals, corporations, foundations, and government agencies whose support helps fulfill our mission to present performing artists who inspire and enrich our community. Individual and institutional supporters include Jill & David Altshuler, Leslie & Howard Appleby, the Barr Foundation through its ArtsAmplified initiative, Amy & Joshua Boger, the Boston Mayor’s Office of Arts and Culture, Stephanie L. Brown, Julia Byers & Steven Holtzman, Michael & Adrianne Canning, Deloitte, Yvette & Lawrence Hochberg, Klarman Family Foundation, George & Lizbeth Krupp, Liberty Mutual Foundation, Richard K. Lubin Family Foundation, Susanne Marcus Collins Foundation, Mass Cultural Council, National Endowment for the Arts, Eleanor & Frank Pao, Stephen C. Perry & Oliver Radford, The Rabb Family Foundations, Reuben Reynolds, Mabel Louise Riley Foundation, Royal Little Family Foundation, Schrafft Charitable Trust, Sally S. Seaver, PhD, Jeremy Silverman & Mary Sutherland, Stifler Family Foundation, Belinda Termeer, Susan & Michael Thonis, Urban Agenda Grant Program from the Massachusetts Executive Office of Economic Development (EOED), Dorothy Altman Weber, in memory of Stephen R. Weber, Anonymous (4), and many others.

celebrityseries.org

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