Think about the last time you and your spouse, partner, or friend made plans for an evening out at an arts event. Maybe it was a theater performance or a gallery opening. Now think about everything that went into bringing that plan to fruition. Perhaps it wasn’t in or near the neighborhood in which you live so you had to coordinate your arrival. It might have required the hiring of a babysitter. Driving and finding a parking place were likely considered. Did you grab dinner beforehand? If you finished dinner early, perhaps you had some time to kill and found yourselves walking around the neighborhood where the art event was taking place. After the show, maybe you grabbed drinks or dessert.  

Regardless of how your evening played out, you likely experienced one or both of the tenets that drive ArtsWave’s investment strategy: a vibrant regional economy and a more connected community. Your evening out helped to support more than just the arts organization visited, and spurred interactions with folks you might not have had the chance to meet had you just stayed at home. ArtsWave’s ArtsPass was created as a way to help make more of those evenings happen more often.

The ArtsPass program, available for a $75 minimum donation to ArtsWave’s annual community campaign, offers its members discounted tickets and other special offers at over 40 arts organizations around the region. In an effort to further drive its key impact areas, ArtsWave began adding retail and restaurant offers, helping members craft a full, affordable evening out.  

ArtsPass membership isn’t just about discounts – it’s about discovery.  Members also receive curated newsletters each month, keeping them up to date on all the exciting shows, concerts, and exhibitions happening across the region. The newsletter helps remind members to get tickets early for the show they know they want to see, and find out about an amazing event they might not have heard about otherwise.

To reach more people with this program, in 2013 ArtsWave began offering the ArtsPass as a holiday gift-giving opportunity. Now, anyone can give a loved one this membership, helping them to discover more of the arts, restaurants, and shops that make our region amazing. This year, in addition to offering individual ArtsPass holiday sales, ArtsWave is also offering bulk sales discounts to companies that are interested in sharing the gift of the arts with their employees this holiday season--with a bonus voucher for a pair of tickets to a spring CSO performance at Music Hall. 

This year’s Holiday ArtsPass comes in a beautifully wrapped gift box that includes everything you need to get started: a unique ArtsPass user code; an ArtsPass user guide that walks members through setting up their online ArtsPass account and redeeming the discount offers; an ArtsPass magnet, to remind you to use your discounts regularly; and an ArtsWave embossed chocolate coin, just for good measure.

Imagine if local companies used ArtsPass as a welcoming tool for interns and new or transplanted employees and their families. The discounts, as well as our semi-monthly ArtsPass newsletter, are a great way for those new to the city to stay connected to upcoming events and new organizations.

Love using your ArtsPass? Join the conversation by using #ArtsPass. Learn more about ArtsPass partner organizations by following #ArtsPassElf this holiday season. If your company would like to give the gift of the arts to its employees this holiday season or learn more about the discount bulk purchases, please contact Mike Boberg, mike.boberg@theartswave.org.