The New Event That's Bringing The Worlds Of Art And Tech Together

The talent over in San Fran promises to have the solution to every quandary. Lonely? Facebook. Hungry? Yelp. Need a ride? Uber. Need a place? AirBnB. Need a deal? Groupon. Need some funds? Venmo.

Need a better way to experience art? ...

(That's the sound of the entire tech world shifting uncomfortably in their seats.)

Cincinnati's big players have noticed. We have world class art here -- and a growing startup community -- and yet there's no ubiquitous app, no crowd-sourced solution to problems experienced by multiple organizations, no new technology promising to change the way we experience art.

Enter ArtsWave and its new event, Tidal: Arts x Tech Challenge.

A WEEKEND OF PROBLEM-SOLVING

Tidal promises to connect the problems faced by arts organizations to people who have the technical expertise to solve them.

Sponsored by Fifth Third Bank, Tidal was conceived by Chris Ostoich, ArtsWave Board member and co-founder of the successful Cincinnati startup LISNR. The event is part of the 2016 ArtsWave Community Campaign and is being hosted by Startup Cincy at Union Hall.

"I've built my career in Cincinnati in startups and I have always had an interest in and love for the arts," says Ostoich. "I want to see more entrepreneurs and creatives engaged in the arts, and I know that if you want to get those people involved, if you want to get in front of them, you have to engage their minds and talents."

Registration is free for Tidal, which will take place April 8-10 at Union Hall in Over-the-Rhine. (RSVP) The challenges include creating a way for locals to track Cincinnati artists around the world, using computer installations to enhance theatre-going experiences and offering a resource that will aid those attending art events in finding food and entertainment nearby. Check out the full list here.

DIFFERENT WORLDS COMING TOGETHER

The event is noteworthy in that collaborations between art and the tech are rare. But those are two industries currently thriving in Cincinnati, and Tidal will bring them together.

"Our long-standing arts sector and the growing tech and entrepreneurial sector both put Cincinnati on the map and draw top talent, new jobs, and tourists to our region. ArtsWave is excited to bring these two key parts of our region's economy together," ArtsWave CEO Alecia Kintner says. "We know the arts have the power to fuel creativity and learning for everyone, at any age, and this unique event will show that."

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Tidal: Arts x Tech Challenge is part of the 2016 ArtsWave Community Campaign. The campaign, which runs through April 28, aims to raise $12.45 million to support more than 100 arts organization around Greater Cincinnati.

As a leader for the arts sector and the community, ArtsWave is advancing a more vibrant economy and connected community through the arts. In addition to events such as Tidal, ArtsWave provides services to the community, including Cincyartsguide.com, to connect and engage people with the arts, and to the arts sector, including impact-based grants.