The 2018 ArtsWave Community Campaign is nearly upon us. On February 1, we launch this year's iteration of the nation's oldest and largest annual arts community campaign. This year, our sights are set squarely on innovation. We are reinventing core elements of our outreach to the community, building on the past year's wave of momentum in the arts. We're incorporating new ideas and new technology to reinvigorate cherished traditions.

One of the biggest changes will come to the 30+ year tradition of Macy's Arts Sampler weekend. In the past, this has been a single weekend full of dozens of amazing arts all over the region. This year, we're hacking the concept and spreading out the fun. The newly-minted ArtsWave Days, brought to you by Macy's, will span all twelve Saturdays of the 2018 ArtsWave Community Campaign.

With this new format, we're bringing an enormously diverse range of arts to the community. It starts with Play Day on February 3, featuring performances, classes, hands-on art-making and more at The Children’s Theatre of Cincinnati, Cincinnati Shakespeare Company, The Carnegie and the Campbell County Libraries. Subsequent Saturday events, like Date Night in OTR and the Beer Choir Games, offer performances and activities aimed at adults. The complete schedule is at ArtsWave.org/Days.

For the many businesses conducting workplace giving campaigns for ArtsWave this spring, the new ArtsWave Days offers multiple opportunities to connect employees and their families to new arts organizations, artists and experiences. In addition to Macy's, who returns as our title sponsor, sponsors for specific ArtsWave Days include Dewey's Pizza and Cincinnati Children's Hospital and Medical Center. Additional sponsorships are available and will be recognized as part of the 2018 ArtsWave Community Campaign.

We are hopeful that this festival-style event series will raise greater awareness, excitement and support for the arts. To ensure those outcomes, we're taking steps to incorporate new technology that came out of an ArtsWave Arts x Tech challenge. This year will see the launch of ArtsWave Rewards, a free program offering “waves” that roll up to “rewards” that can be accumulated for chances to win weekly prizes associated with ArtsWave Days. We can't wait to show you how and what you might win!

After the incredible year in the arts that our region experienced in 2017, it's only fitting that we Make Waves in 2018. We hope you'll join us.