Culture Spaces

Austrian Information presents Culture Spaces, a new web platform to showcase highlights and to network artistic exchanges between Austria and the United States. Culture Spaces is a tool of applied cultural and digital diplomacy between the two countries and aims to increase mutual understanding and raise awareness of the caliber of cultural exchange between the Austria and the United States.

Its scope includes all forms of artistic exchange, from the visual arts to musical performances, and also aims to include academic lectures. Culture Spaces will document, highlight, network and inform about ongoing projects both in the United States and Austria. The web site therefore also provides comprehensive listings of past and upcoming events throughout the United States and Austria, online image galleries to showcase artists' work and events, a comprehensive events calendar, as well as searchable artists' database beginning in 2012.

The project was developed jointly by the Austrian Cultural Forum in Washington, D.C. and the Digital Diplomacy Forum at Campaign Digital, Inc. of Washington, D.C. Culture Spaces is made possible by a generous grant from the Institute of Austrian-American Studies of the Dietrich W. Botstiber Foundation. Dietrich Botstiber, an Austrian- American entrepreneur, penned his name to a trust that would be the governing document for the Dietrich W. Botstiber Foundation.

In the trust, Botstiber set forth his charitable intentions: to provide scholarships to talented students of good moral character in the fields of science, technology and commerce; to promote an understanding of the historic relationship between the United States and Austria; to support programs that prevent cruelty to animals and human beings; and to reform education systems in the fields of science, technology and commerce. The Botstiber Institute for Austrian-American Studies (BIAAS) supports projects that implement Botstiber's mission. BIAAS and the Austrian- American Educational Commission jointly sponsor two Fulbright- Botstiber visiting professorships, one in Austria and the other in the United States. BIAAS offers an annual fellowship in Austrian-American Studies and it provides grants for work, and sponsors programs in the field of history, politics, economics, law, literature, poetry, music and translations.

Culture Spaces aims to contribute to this vision of understanding. For more information, please visit www.culturespaces.org