Virginia Beach’s arts and cultural hub is now accessible at your fingertips and on the go. The ViBe Creative District has dynamic new look and feel to its web presence, thanks to an in-kind donation by local technology consulting and web design company Port & Starboard. “As a business, we feel so fortunate to be located in the ViBe, and we wanted their new website to be a valuable resource for the local community. At the same time, the design reflects the energy, creativity, and vibrancy of the people who work and play here,” said Lisa DeNoia, co-founder of Port & Starboard and president of the Friends of the ViBe Creative District.
Greater interactivity is a key component of the new web design, which is mobile responsive. Business members of the ViBe Creative District now have the flexibility to create and maintain their own events on the platform. Community art, including all murals and the crosswalks, have been extensively catalogued, making it intuitive for users to browse and to identify the many works beautifying the neighborhood. Since the district was established in 2015, over 40 new businesses have opened and more than 150 artworks have been added to the sidewalks, streets, parks and walls increasing the need to catalogue and publicly share this information online.
“We have seen growing pedestrian traffic and larger groups coming to the ViBe District with phones in hand, searching for the art,” said Kate Pittman, executive director of the ViBe Creative District nonprofit. “Already, more than 130,000 people have accessed our online Google Mural Map, which told us we needed to increase the art presence on our website and make it as user-friendly as possible. Now both our membership and our patrons can benefit with the resources available at vibecreativedistrict.org.”
The newly launched website makes it easier than ever to get involved in the exciting work that the ViBe Creative District is doing. Individuals and business owners who wish to become members of the Friends of the ViBe Creative District can now apply online. The non-profit is now able to accept one-time and recurring monthly online donations, which help support the ViBe Creative District’s mission, “to promote, support, connect, and inspire the arts and creative industries to boost our local economy, grow jobs, and enhance our quality of life.”
“It is critical for non-profits to empower people to easily donate,” DeNoia said. “Providing this capability on the new website is a big step in supporting the efforts the ViBe is taking on behalf of our community”.
Additionally, the new website’s news page features over 450 press articles in chronological order to archive the history of the arts district and cross-promote entrepreneurial business information with the community arts projects. “The ViBe District has earned 450 press mentioned in the last four years, demonstrating that the community wants to hear about and access information about their local creative community,” said Pittman.
About Port & Starboard:
Port & Starboard was established in 2015 and is based in the ViBe Creative District at the Virginia Beach oceanfront. The growing technology firm provides Salesforce platform support services, web design, and expert consulting services to companies in Hampton Roads and throughout the country. Looking to enhance your web presence or digital strategy? Contact us today!
About the ViBe Creative District Nonprofit:
The ViBe Creative District nonprofit is a 501c3 that exists to promote, support, connect, and inspire the creative industries to boost our local economy, grow jobs, and enhance our quality of life. It works to create and revive economic vibrancy in our neighborhood with a remarkable local vibe. Additionally, ViBe strives to enhance a place of discovery for locals and visitors along with economic vitality to meet the City of Virginia Beach’s vision for a quality resort destination. For more information on us please visit ViBeCreativeDistrict.org, email info@ViBeCreativeDistrict.org, call 757-202-9533, or follow ViBe Creative District on Facebook at and Instagram.
