Dwight Newton

email: dnewton@oriscus.com

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Dwight Newton

SUMMARY OF EXPERIENCE

I have been employed in the field of cultural administration for over 20 years. My professional expertise involves the uses of technology in information management for cultural institutions such as libraries, colleges and the arts. Via my own websites, I am known worldwide as an expert in organology (the academic study of musical instruments).

from 11/2007   Mozart Society of America. Contract Web Services Manager.
from 2/2007   American Musical Instrument Society. Newsletter Editor (volunteer).
from 10/2006  

American Musical Instrument Society. Contract Web Services Manager.

from 7/2006

  Nougat arts and culture monthly (Lexington, KY). Columnist.
from 11/2003   University of Kentucky School of Music. Marketing/PR Coordinator, Webmaster.
2003   Lexington Public Library. Librarian Assistant.
2003-2005   Contract consultant for Arts Kentucky on a major web development project funded by ARC and NEA grants.
2003-2008   Certified Arts Management Consultant for the Kentucky Peer Advisory Network (KPAN), a program of the Kentucky Arts Council.
   
  • Technology planning consultancies for individual artits.
  • Technology planning consultancy for the Singletary Center for the Arts, University of Kentucky.
  • Technology planning consultancy for Blue Apple Players, a major children’s theatre company in Louisville.
   
2002   Contract consultant for Kentucky Historical Society.
2001-2003   Self Employed. Consultant in Arts Technology.
1998-2001   Arizona Commission on the Arts. Executive Assistant and Webmaster.
1995-1998   Baldwin County (Alabama) Library Cooperative. Office manager, technology manager, webmaster.
1991-1995   Self Employed. Desktop music publishing, musical instrument sales.
1984-1991   The Learning Channel. Videotape Library Manager.
1981-1984   Centre College. Assistant Director of Audiovisual Services, Doherty Library.

TECHNOLOGY SKILLS

  • Microsoft Office (Outlook, Word, Excel, Access, Powerpoint)
  • HTML, CSS, PHP/MySQL programming, Microsoft FrontPage, Dreamweaver, web authoring and web site architecture
  • Adobe Photoshop, InDesign, Acrobat
  • Second Life Master Builder
  • ArcGIS (Mapping)
  • Coda Finale (Music publishing)

NON-PROFIT / GOVERNMENT CULTURAL ADMINISTRATION

  • Maintained broad knowledge of agency missions, goals, programs and priorities as a basis for providing public information
  • Provided overall administrative support to programs and infrastructure of government agencies at the state and county levels, as well as private and academic sector organizations
  • Served on advocacy committees for a state arts endowment, arts accessibility initiatives, and state and county government technology planning
  • Participated in agency strategic and technology planning processes
  • Managed official reporting and public document preparation, including annual reports, planning documents and board minutes
  • Administered grant programs
  • Managed parts of other grants processes as both grantee and grantor
  • Created and published public information printed materials (schedules, resource lists, brochures)

OFFICE MANAGEMENT / FINANCIAL

  • Communicated with boards and general public via phone, face to face, email and website
  • Supervised staff
  • Managed record keeping, filing and reporting of official documents
  • Managed departmental budgets
  • Managed city, state and federal grant accounts for organizations and clients
  • Performed data-entry bookkeeping for A/R and A/P
  • Taught spreadsheet-based accounting classes to adult learners

WEB DEVELOPMENT / TECHNOLOGY
Please see my summary of web development work.

  • Managed and coordinated of all aspects of agency web site development
  • Maintained holistic knowledge of current technology trends and opportunities in alignment with organization priorities, constituent needs and strategic plans
  • Trained staff in areas of web technology
  • Developed internal intranet capabilities
  • Worked with PIO's and publications coordinators to assure graceful transformation of print documents to the web
  • Served on internal and external committees to address technology issues
  • Served as ex officio technology troubleshooter for organizations and constituents

LIBRARY MANAGEMENT

  • Manned help desk for incoming reference and general information inquiries using reference books, CD-ROM databases and the Internet
  • Maintained computer database of patron files
  • Maintained vertical file of periodical, ephemeral and small-format information of local interest
  • Served circulation desk duty on a county bookmobile serving rural, elderly and disabled patrons

OTHER

  • Full production editor for organizational publications, including copy writing, editing, image manipulation, layout, print management and mailing.
  • Published other print promotional items (brochures, menus, etc.)
  • Produced audiovisual media for academic use and public information
  • Published music for print distribution (Coda Finale desktop music publishing)
  • Researched, designed, manufactured, bought and sold musical instruments

RELEVANT WORK

  • Newsletter Editor, American Musical Instrument Society (volunteer), February 2007-present
  • Web Services Manager (contract), American Musical Instrument Society, October 2006-present
  • Web Services Manager (contract), Mozart Society of America. November 2007-present
  • Marketing/Public Information Coordinator, Web manager - University of Kentucky School of Music, November 2003 - present
  • Librarian Assistant, Lexington Public Library - Northside, July -November, 2003
  • Kentucky Peer Advisory Network (KPAN) technology planning consultant, Blue Apple Players (Louisville, KY), November 2003
  • Kentucky Peer Advisory Network (KPAN) technology planning consultant, Singletary Center for the Arts (University of Kentucky). July 2003
  • Web Developer, Arts Kentucky (grant funded contract), July 2003 - present
  • Web developer, Kentucky Historical Society (2002-2003), grant-funded project.
  • Executive Assistant / Webmaster, Arizona Commission on the Arts, Phoenix, Arizona, 1998 – 2002
  • Office / Information Technology Manager, Baldwin County Library Cooperative, Robertsdale, Alabama, 1996 – 1998
  • Manufacturer / Publisher, Quilisma Music Enterprises/Oriscus, Kentucky, Alabama and Arizona, 1990 – present
  • Videotape Library Manager, The Learning Channel, Lexington, Kentucky, 1984 –1991

EDUCATION

  • Master of Arts in Musicology, University of Kentucky, Lexington, Kentucky
  • Bachelor of Arts in Music History, New College, Sarasota, Florida

COMMITTEES, MEMBERSHIPS

  • Member: University of Kentucky Alumni Affairs Council
  • Board Member (ex officio): Friends of the University of Kentucky School of Music
  • Board Member: Center for Old Music in the New World (Lexington, KY) - Early Music presenting organization
  • Member: American Musical Instrument Society
  • Member: Arts Kentucky - An arts service and advocacy organization
  • Member: Historical Confederation of Kentucky - Network of individuals and organizations interested in museums and historic preservation
  • Subscriber: CIMCIM E-List (International musical instrument museum conservators and curators)
  • Former Member: Central Arizona Electronic Village Coalition (CAEV), Universal Access Committee
  • Former Member: Arizona Internet Professionals Association
  • Former Moderator: State Arts Agency Web Staff eList (through the National Association of State Arts Agencies)
  • Former Editor: Open Directory Project category: Society: Organizations: Arts: State Agencies
  • Former Member: Arizona ArtShare (state endowment fund for the arts) Strategic Communications Committee
  • Former Member: Digital Government Working Group (AZ Government Information Technology Agency (GITA)) involved in planning for the state web portal

CONFERENCES / TRAINING

  • University of Kentucky IRIS SAP Campus Management System training, February 2007
  • ESRI certified training course in ArcGIS industry standard geographic information system mapping software. University of Kentucky, January 2007.
  • Bale Boone Symposium: "The Idea of the Athens of the West," October 2006
  • Adobe Photoshop Methods, University of Kentucky, September 2006
  • Media Relations for Arts Organizations Workshop, Arts Kentucky, Lexington, KY, July 2006
  • International conference: American Musical Instrument Society, Galpin Society, and International Committee for Museums and Collections of Musical Instruments. Vermillion, SD; May 2006
  • Kentucky Peer Advisory Network (KPAN) consultants training; Louisville, KY; March 2005
  • Grant Writing Workshop sponsored by Arts Kentucky and the Kentucky Foundation for Women; Crestview Hills, KY; July 2003
  • Kentucky Peer Advisory Network (KPAN) consultants training; Louisville, KY; March 2003
  • Kentucky Arts Council long range planning open meetings; Lexington & Louisville, KY; October 2002
  • Kentucky Historical Society - Directors and Presidents Forum, Frankfort, KY; September 2002
  • Kentucky Cemetery Preservation Workshop; Carrollton, KY; August 2002
  • Kentucky Arts Council Regional Meeting; Lawrenceburg, KY; August 2002
  • Electronic Records Management Seminar, AZ Dept. of Libraries, Archives & Public Records, September 20, 2000
  • Web Site Development and Design Conference; Phoenix, August 2000
  • CGI Scripting for Web Sites; Paradise Valley (AZ) Community College, November 2000
  • Executive Leadership Forum: Serving Citizens in a Digital Age; Phoenix, AZ April 2000
  • Arizona State University Nonprofit Management Institute, Conference on Technology Planning for Nonprofits, Mesa, AZ 1998

OTHER ACTIVITIES

  • Performing member of Musick's Company, an early music ensemble based in Lexington, KY. Viols, recorders, medieval harp and fiddle, percussion. 1983-present
  • Board of directors of the Center for Old Music in the New World, a non-profit organization supporting early music performances, a library and outreach activities. 1985-1995
  • Performer with the Pack of Lies Orchestra – a techno-ambient improvisational music ensemble. Keyboards, guitars, charango, accordion, electric cello, recorders, Native American flute, percussion, etc. 1999-2001
  • Avid cultural patron, regularly attending performances, lectures, workshops, museums and galleries of all kinds.
  • Personal web site WWW.ORISCUS.COM dedicated to Internet resources in arts technology, musical instruments and other interests.

Short-list interviewed for the following positions:

  • Director: White Hall State Historic Site (historic home of Cassius Marcellus Clay) (August, 2003)
  • Director: Midway (KY) Museum (June 2003)
  • Community Arts Director: Kentucky Arts Council (March 2003)
  • Program Director: Kentucky Artisans Heritage Trails (November 2002)
  • Assistant Director: Appalachian Center (University of Kentucky - August 2002)
  • Executive Director: Early Music America (June 2002)
  • Executive Director: American Recorder Society (March 2002)

REFERENCES AVAILABLE UPON REQUEST

Last updated 02.17.2007