Portalwisconsin.org is a "one-stop culture shop"
Popular Web site helps thousands of users each month enjoy Wisconsin arts and culture
"Tree of Life" is a watercolor by Helen Klebesadel. Klebesadel is one of more than 200 Wisconsin artists featured in the Portalwisconsin.org online gallery.
Wisconsin's thriving cultural scene is a major part of our state's quality of life and, increasingly, its economic development. From major cities to small towns, offerings in the arts and humanities give residents the chance for learning and enjoyment. But Wisconsinites and visitors to the state can't enjoy these opportunities if they don't know about them. ThatÕs where Portalwisconsin.org comes in. For the past four years, the nonprofit Web site has served as the leading online resource for Wisconsin cultural information. In January 2006, Web users made nearly 44,000 visits to the site. In previous months, Web visits have topped well over 50,000.
Dedicated partners
Portalwisconsin.org has its roots in a grant from the University of Wisconsin-Extension. That seed money allowed the project to attract additional funding from the Corporation for Public Broadcasting and the National Endowment for the Arts. Following an intensive planning phase, the site was launched on Jan. 12, 2002. The site is a project of the Cultural Coalition of Wisconsin, a group of seven statewide partners.
All things cultural
Visitors to Portalwisconsin.org can find a wealth of cultural information. In addition to a statewide events calendar, the site has an online gallery that displays the work of more than 200 contemporary Wisconsin artists. Other content includes feature stories, cultural news, course listings, and streaming video and audio.
Comments from Portalwisconsin.org users attest to the site's usefulness. Writes one user in an e-mail, "What a fantastic site! Today was my first visit and I had a most wonderful time. Browsing through classes and events, I always knew that this lovely state had things like this to offer, but I just never knew where to look." Another enthusiastic user says, "Portalwisconsin.org is a great service. This site seems to have unusual events that we donÕt see elsewhere."
National model and resource
While providing a valued service to Wisconsin residents and visitors, the site also serves as a national model for other states that are interested in creating cultural portal sites. Portalwisconsin.org staff members provide advice, training and computer code to public-broadcasting organizations in other states that wish to emulate the site. Those entities include WGBY in Springfield, Mass., and Alaska Public Telecommunications in Anchorage. — Jennifer A. Smith
For more information: Portalwisconsin.org Project Manager Jennifer A. Smith, smithja@wpt.org, (608) 263-2166; www.portalwisconsin.org
Cultural Coalition of Wisconsin Members
- Wisconsin Academy of Sciences, Arts and Letters
- Wisconsin Arts Board
- Wisconsin Historical Society
- Wisconsin Humanities Council
- Wisconsin Public Radio
- Wisconsin Public Television
- UW-Extension/Outreach and E-Learning Extension