September 11, 2008

(New York, N.Y.) — On September 1, 2008, NYC Performing Arts Spaces merged its operations with those of Fractured Atlas, becoming an ongoing program of the organization. Fractured Atlas provides services and support to a national community of artists and arts organizations.

The signature websites of NYC Performing Arts Spaces (NYC PAS) — nycDanceSpaces.org, nycMusicSpaces.org, and nycTheatreSpaces.org — are now collectively a Fractured Atlas program under the oversight of Program Director David Johnston. Founder Eugenie Cowan will join Fractured Atlas's Board of Directors and staff, and will continue her work on resolving musicians' workspace needs.

The three NYC PAS websites — which boast the most comprehensive database of New York City rehearsal and performance spaces available — will retain their individual brands and web addresses.

"Looking ahead, we wanted to ensure that the performing arts community would continue to benefit from our valuable databases, which depend on advances in information technology," said Cowan. "As we sought a partner in our strategic planning process, Fractured Atlas was the perfect match."

The merger of these nonprofits will enable website enhancements such as improved searchability, thanks to Fractured Atlas' extensive software development resources and technological infrastructure. NYC PAS will also be able to analyze more easily and quickly the data coming in from performing artists' workspace searches. In addition, the merger creates the potential for replicating the NYC PAS database in other cities with large arts communities.

Fractured Atlas Executive Director Adam Forest Huttler said, "Next to funding, space is probably the biggest and most persistent challenge the arts community faces. Unfortunately it's not one that we've historically been able to address at Fractured Atlas. I'm excited by the opportunity to work on this important issue and I'm honored that Eugenie and her team felt comfortable handing us the reins."

For more information, please visit www.nycPASpaces.org or www.fracturedatlas.org

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NYC PERFORMING ARTS SPACES (NYC PAS) is the only non-profit organization focused on solving the critical and on-going need for rehearsal and performance space in New York City. NYC PAS maintains three online databases of rehearsal and performance spaces for music, dance and theatre, known collectively as www.nycPASpaces.org. NYC PAS also collects data and publishes studies on performing arts workspace availability and need. Our mission is to foster a vibrant and prolific performing arts community around shared resources of space and talent, to increase stability and growth within the artistic community, and to help broaden public access to the performing arts.

FRACTURED ATLAS is a non-profit arts service organization with a multi-disciplinary membership of nearly 6,000 independent artists and emerging arts organizations. Its core service areas include healthcare, fiscal sponsorship, liability insurance, education and professional development, and advocacy. Through the Fractured Atlas Open Arts Network, arts organizations nationwide can partner with Fractured Atlas to provide their constituents with access to affordable healthcare and other benefits, at no cost to the partner or its members.