Okay 2021, what are you bringing to the table? It seems like the past few years have been full of technological advances that have more or less facilitated the way information is consumed. Not to mention during a global pandemic, almost everything has become digital in some shape or form. For example, people have been able to work from home more than ever before, classes have been mostly conducted online, and now even art galleries have opted for the virtual route. We have been forced to adapt to a new way of living where almost anything, if not everything, now has an online version.

It seems like it wasn’t that long ago where Blu-ray DVD’s were a novelty, and compact disc or CD shelves at Target were empty with new music releases. Videocassette tapes or VHS were quickly filling up boxes and stored away in peoples’ attics left to gather dust. The most probable reason as to why this transition happened so quickly was due to the VHS’s robust nature or the overly sensitive cassette tape that would always end up in a tangled mess, leading to the painful, gruesome, and tedious task of physically taking the tape out and rolling it back together piece by piece. Now, don’t even get me started on the transition from music cassette tapes into compact discs (CDs)! Which is why I would love to give a big round of applause to the brilliant minds who decided the future of music would be in a digital format, hence the birth of the mp3 file.

However, it wouldn’t be too long before Blu-ray would also become a thing of the past. With an even shorter life span in comparison to VHS tapes, virtually almost every TV show and film could soon be accessed anywhere at any time due to streaming platforms. Streaming services were seen as wishful thinking at one point in time, simply because it was unheard of and almost no one thought it would work. Now more than ever before, subscriptions for streaming services have received a huge increase over the last year and it seems likely to continue growing. Little by little, your local video stores started going out of business and disappearing one by one. By today’s standards, buying a DVD is just not worth it anymore mainly because the price of one movie alone is more expensive that a membership offering thousands of films you can rewatch again and again with less storage space in your home.

The importance of membership to access these platforms has grown exponentially over the last couple of years. Now more than ever, there is an array of platforms to choose from offering memberships at a low rate or even completely free. Evidently, this looks to be the way of the future moving forward! Have access to unlimited content based on your subscription to these streaming services. Moreover, there are also plenty of other platforms, or nonprofit organizations, that also offer virtual art galleries for your viewing pleasure, all of which are completely free. Not only are these galleries free and online, they can be viewed again and again.

Music platforms have also seen a growth in their number of listeners as well. Now, the performing arts world didn’t manage to stay that far behind either. Artistic platforms have recently been creating their own venues and offering their own podcasts, in which you can catch up on the latest topics and trends happening in the arts world. Similarly, these organizations offer membership deals too. You might be asking, why sign up with a non-profit organization? Well, here are 5 perks that you could benefit from memberships:

• Members Only

Get a sneak peek at exclusive content and special events.

• Take advantage of the Perks

Access brand new social media networking platform for artists to network with hundreds of other artists, curators, and collectors. You can also post comments, make connections with friends, access forums and so much more!

• Create your Profile

Set up a profile that you can share with a personalized link from the streaming service.

• Get involved

Membership comes with exclusive access to courses. You will also get the chance to participate in the community and have a first look at special event just for members.

• Membership fees

Membership perks can vary, and some are absolutely FREE when you sign up!

The digital age has completely revolutionized the way we access information, not to mention how we communicate with the rest of the world. In today’s society, there is less and less of a need for physical contact since now we can do everything online from shopping to virtual classrooms and even virtual versions of ourselves too! Companies have been hard at work for years trying to create a brand new world solely based on Augmented Reality (AR) through the use of Virtual Reality (VR) goggles. There are companies that have already begun developing a technological ecosystem that connects all devices with one another (from phones, laptops, watches, and even TV) you can practically have these devices keep track of your daily life simultaneously from calendar reminders, to monitoring your blood pressure every hour. The gaming industry doesn’t fall too far behind either with their advances, they have also created a virtual world that will not only be used for video games but will soon give access to virtual environments such as taking a virtual hike in the woods or going for a stroll by the beach. It is unbelievable! At this rate, soon enough there simply won’t be a reason to leave the comfort of our own homes. Technology is advancing at an unbelievably rapid pace and there’s nothing, we do to stop it.

Additionally, this year, the world’s first flying car was produced and put up for sale. The hybrid car-aircraft, or AirCar, has an engine that runs on regular petrol-pump fuel. Professor Stefan Klein, its creator, stated it would be able to fly about 1,000km (600 miles), at a height of 8,200ft (2,500m), and could last up to 40 hours in the air at the moment. The first civilians have also traveled to space for the first time and have made it easier and more affordable than ever before, thus causing a raise in space tourism. Technology is gradually reaching unimaginable heights every single day along with every other aspect. It is interesting to see how the art world will develop in the near future given all of the newfound resources that are emerging.

A well-known non-profit organization, such as Culturally, strives to procure their community service through the arts as a form of creating social change on a global scale. In fact, it has created a global impact among its members, exhibitionists, program participants, outreach efforts and volunteers. Their global outreach has been proven effective in more than 60 countries and 6 continents worldwide! Since then, they have been providing a platform for artists for over a year now, and have taught more than 1,000 students, hosted more than 50 events, established branches in Colombia and the United Arab Emirates, and has already exhibited almost 1,000 works. Now, to say that it is not worth investing in would be an understatement. I mean, how much more proof do you need?