Fine Art PR Publicity Announcements News and Information
Fine Art PR Publicity Announcements News and Information

Art New England Acquired by New Venture Media Group

Art New England, the region’s leading visual arts magazine, has been acquired by New Venture Media Group LLC, publishers of the bi-weekly visitors’ magazine Panorama The Official Guide to Boston, and the Boston edition of the world-renowned theater program Playbill. With offices in the heart of Boston’s Fort Point Channel arts community, New Venture Media Group (NVMG) takes the reins as Art New England approaches its 30th anniversary at the end of 2009.

tim-montgomery-ellen-howards“We are pleased to welcome Art New England to our new company. As theatrical services providers, as publisher of Playbill here in Boston, and as theater and cultural attraction producers, we see its mission as complementary to our own,” comments Tim Montgomery, NVMG President.

Ellen Howards, Editor-in-Chief of Art New England, notes, “Tim supports the high quality critical and lively arts journalism our readers have come to expect. And, New Venture Media Group will provide Art New England with a solid base of operations where the magazine can thrive and grow. Moving to the Fort Point arts community is the icing on the cake. I couldn’t be more thrilled.”

New Venture Media Group recently took ownership of The Jerome Press Companies, a 110-year old publishing and theatrical services conglomerate. Montgomery had served 10 years as President & CEO of Jerome Press before the transition. In addition to Panorama and Playbill magazines, NVMG’s interests include Show of the Month Club, the country’s oldest member-based theater and travel club, and Panorama Custom Publishing, which provides editorial, design, marketing and printing services to a variety of for-profit and not-for-profit businesses and organizations such as The Newbury Street

League, Massachusetts Lodging Association and Commonwealth Shakespeare Company among many others.

The company also owns and operates a theatrical development and producing subsidiary, New Venture Entertainment LLC, in partnership with a Korean investment group with offices in Seoul and Tokyo. Recent projects include the Tony-nominated Broadway musical, Cry-Baby; last fall’s South Korean tour of Boston Ballet; and in September 2009, a two-week engagement of the Broadway tour of RENT in Seoul.

Montgomery began his media career at WBCN-FM, eventually becoming managing partner and COO of Precision Media Corporation, a group of radio stations that was sold in 1998. He also was publisher of Boston magazine prior to joining Jerome Press.

Ellen Howards was Associate Editor at artsMEDIA magazine before joining Art New England as Editor-in-Chief in 2006. She writes extensively and teaches writing at Emerson College.

Celebrating its 30th anniversary in 2009, Art New England is the region’s premier visual arts magazine. With the highest journalistic standards, it offers critical insight into the exhibitions, artists, trends and controversies affecting the New England art scene. As the only magazine in New England dedicated exclusively to the visual arts, it attracts the best arts writers in the region, including Christine Temin, formerly of the Boston Globe; New York critic Donald Kuspit; former DeCordova Museum curator Rachel Lafo; and former Rose Art Museum director Joe Ketner, to name a few.

For more information call 857.366.8131 or visit www.ArtNewEngland.com.
A newly designed and expanded web site will be launched later this year.

Editor’s Note:
• Interviews with Tim Montgomery and Ellen Howards are encouraged.