Miamiartzine Debuts New Look & Mobile Site

The Miami Beach Arts Trust is launching an update to its ever popular online publication, miamiartzine.com, and is introducing its on-the-go website for arts lovers to keep up to date on what's happening in South Florida in arts, culture and live performance.

"The site has been updated for an easier user experience and also to accommodate and keep up with on-the-go technology such as tablets and mobile devices," says Harvey J. Burstein, publisher and founder of miamiartzine.com, and chairman of the Miami Beach Arts Trust.

The new site has been designed to provide the ultimate user-friendly experience with improved navigation and functionality throughout. An extensive calendar is one of the highlights, which will encompass arts happenings in Miami-Dade, Broward and Palm Beach Counties, as well as a more expanded and socially connected Around Town photo gallery, which is one of the most popular features of miamiartzine.

The public is invited to a kickoff party to celebrate the new miamiartzine.com at the Miami Beach Botanical Garden, 2000 Convention Center Drive, on Monday, Feb. 24, from 6 to 8 p.m. The event is free, but contributions are welcome.

Miami Beach Arts Trust was founded in 1999 as a 501 (C)(3) organization by the city of Miami Beach with the primary goal of providing awareness of and funding for the arts. In 2002, at the recommendation of the City Manager, the Trust separated from the city and became a stand-alone organization. In addition to nurturing new artists, the Miami Beach Arts Trust also acts as the fiscal agent for smaller, non-profit organizations. One of its greatest accomplishments was the creation of an online publication to better serve South Florida's arts community and arts lovers, according to Burstein who conceived the idea nine years ago.

"miamiartzine.com serves the arts community and its audiences by providing a conversation furthered by professional reviewers, and we've become a valuable source of information with our calendar of events, and our features such as What's Happening in the Magic City and Arts Du Jour," says Burstein. "We also have a stable of arts advertisers that know they will reach a very selective audience through miamiartzine.com."

Each issue contains original feature stories about arts and entertainment, professional reviews and Around Town photo galleries by miamiartzine.com's professional photographers, led by Henry Perez. A three-times weekly e-blast offers ticket giveaways and up-to-date calendar and professional reviews.

"Not only does this provide a service to the community, but we feel as if miamiartzine.com has served as a career conduit for its contributors. Many of our writers have become recognized in the community as arts authorities and have received other opportunities because of their affiliation with miamiartzine.com."

The new site was designed by award-winning website design company Atimo LLC and Claudio Croce, content manager. Heber Siqueiros has joined miamiartzine.com as social media director. Staff writers and reviewers are: Anna Collins, Hieke Dempster, Robert Dempster, Steve Gladstone, Roger Martin, Hali Neal, Marjorie O-Neill-Butler, Ruben Rosario, Michelle F. Solomon, Irene Sperber and Monica Torres. Henry Perez is staff photographer and Paul Richards is in charge of membership.