Celebrating Creative West’s 50th: ZAPP’s Impact on Art Festivals

This year marked both the 20th anniversary of ZAPP and a significant milestone for ZAPP’s parent organization, Creative West. The organization not only celebrated its 50th anniversary but also embraced a new identity, transitioning from its former name, WESTAF (Western States Arts Federation), to Creative West. In this blog post, we reflect on ZAPP’s origins and its role in Creative West’s history.

Established in 1974 as a nonprofit dedicated to serving the arts, Creative West aspired to be a force in advancing arts and culture across the western United States. Over the past 50 years, it has introduced innovative programs, built strong regional and national collaborations, and continuously adapted to the evolving needs of the arts community.

One of its ambitious evolutions was creating technological solutions for arts organizations and artists. Among the first projects developed were Circuit Riders (a telephone and online consultancy service), ArtsComputer (a computer and software leasing program for arts administrators), ArtJob (an e-newsletter and website with arts-focused job listings across the U.S.), and ArtistsRegister (an online database connecting artists to collectors, gallery owners, curators, and more). While these early programs were eventually phased out, they paved the way for Creative West to launch those that still exist today.

There was once a time when artists had to mail in paper applications, along with images of their artwork on photographic slides, to art festivals, galleries, and other art organizations that would review them. Things would soon change when, in 2003, the manufacturer of slide projectors, Eastman-Kodak, announced it would discontinue the machines. This created a need, specifically in the art festival industry, to adopt a new technology that allowed a standardized, digital method for reviewing artwork. That need was answered by Creative West in 2004 when it launched ZAPPlication, designed specifically for art fairs and festivals. In 2005, Creative West followed suit again by launching its sister platform, CallforEntry (CaFÉ), closely mirroring the ZAPP infrastructure but this time for exhibitions, art competitions, public art, and other types of art calls.

Want to know more about Creative West’s early technology projects? Watch these two episodes from the WESTAF Turns 50 documentary series:

A Visual Journey of ZAPP Through Time

In 2000, Larry Oliverson of the National Association of Independent Artists (NAIA) approached WESTAF after seeing a demonstration of its online database of artists, ArtistsRegister.com. Oliverson explained the need for art fairs to have a digital application process to replace slide projectors (which would later be discontinued in 2004).

This initial discussion kickstarted WESTAF’s multi-year journey to develop the platform we know today—ZAPPlication.

After several meetings with NAIA and other art show directors, dreams of an online application system for art fairs turned into real plans and signed contracts.

In September 2004, ZAPPlication was launched in partnership with 11 major art events nationwide!

In 2009, the inaugural ZAPP™ User Conference took place in Denver, CO.

The three-day conference convened event administrators and artists for various panel sessions and workshops around current topics in the art fair field, marketing and advertising for events, the impact of the current economy, ZAPP system training, technical assistance, and more.

Up until 2018, ZAPP held these conferences almost every year to bring together members of the industry.

What started simply as a way to digitally collect and jury applications blossomed into a place where artists and art festivals connect.

Today, ZAPP is the chosen application management platform for nearly 1,000 festivals nationwide. Take a look at more all-time stats!

Adapting to the Industry

Over the past two decades, ZAPP has continued to grow and adapt to the changing needs of the art and craft fair industry. For example, jurying for art festivals has taken various forms since the slide-projector days. Many juries use the in-person or projected jurying methods that have been standard for years, while some juries are held asynchronously and online. ZAPP’s flexibility in its features allows organizations to choose the approach that best fits their specific event needs while maintaining fairness for artists. ZAPP’s commitment to innovation ensures that it continues to support a diverse range of jurying preferences across the industry.

ZAPP's Role Within Creative West

ZAPP’s primary goal is to provide artists and arts organizations with easy-to-use, capacity-building tools, and in doing so, it supports sustainable arts careers and strengthens organizational capacity. As a regional arts nonprofit, Creative West reinvests the revenue generated by ZAPP and its other technology products into programs that empower artists, culture bearers, and creative organizations. With its technological systems, Creative West not only facilitates creative opportunities but also drives transformative change in the arts, ensuring its impact extends far beyond the West.

The Road Ahead for ZAPP and Creative West

Looking ahead, ZAPP will continue to connect artists with art fairs and festivals. Building on its strong technological foundation, Creative West will remain committed to exploring new ways to empower creatives. Through it all, the team behind these missions remains dedicated to sharing the stories of its users and championing the transformative power of art in communities everywhere.