About ZAPP

• The ZAPP™ System
• Benefit to Artists
• Meet the ZAPP team
• The History of the Project
• About Creative West (Formerly WESTAF)

The ZAPP™ System

ZAPP enables artists to apply online to multiple art shows through one central website, ZAPPlication.org. The online application process also allows artists to directly upload digital images of their artwork for jury review. The result is that all artwork in the system is in a consistent, high-quality, digital format. The digital images are presented to the jurors of each show and the system allows them to score online.

Benefits to Artists

• Using ZAPP is free to artists
• Artists can upload 1000 MB of digital images to their online, individual image bank
• Jurors see high-quality digital images of artists' work
• Artists can manage applications to multiple shows through ZAPP
• Artists save money on postage and no longer have to mail slides or CDs of images
• Artists can access their ZAPP accounts and image bank online from any computer with an Internet connection
• Artists only have to enter contact information into ZAPP once
• Artists no longer have to complete multiple-page paper applications
• Artists receive email notifications with application status and other relevant information
• Artists' images and personal information are kept secure and confidential

The ZAPP Team

Christina Villa, Director of Business
Christina Villa (she/her) is the director of business at Creative West. She guides all operational and strategic business initiatives to support the execution of Creative West’s strategic plan and the short, medium, and long-term objectives of CaFE, CVSuite, GO Smart, Public Art Archive, and ZAPP. Serving as part of Creative West’s leadership resource team, Villa ensures the business department initiatives and projects complement the overall work of the organization and its guiding principles. Prior to joining Creative West, she worked with the city of Aurora, Colorado’s Art in Public Places program, and Colorado’s state arts agency, Colorado Creative Industries. She holds a bachelor’s degree in journalism from Metropolitan State University of Denver and a leadership development certificate from the Denver Metro Chamber Leadership Foundation.

Ashley Arias, ZAPP and CaFÉ Customer Experience Coordinator
Ashley Arias (she/her) assists in providing support for users of both the ZAPP and CaFÉ programs to ensure customer satisfaction. Prior to joining Creative West, Arias worked as a medical assistant and COVID tester. Outside of work, she enjoys spending time with her fiance and kids and learning new tricks in the kitchen.

Michelle Baca, Business Financial Specialist
Michelle Baca (she/her) oversees the various financial aspects of the for-profit programs within Creative West. She is responsible for all financial activity of both of our largest programs, CaFÉ and ZAPPlication. Baca also provides assistance to management with departmental financial budgeting, goals, and understanding of each program’s overall financial outlook through data analysis, reporting, meetings, and discussions with business staff. Additionally, Baca’s position is client-facing to arts administrators. She assists administrators with financial issues related to the payouts, financial statements, and billing they receive from both CaFE and Zapplication. Personally, Baca is working on building her real estate investment portfolio. She holds a bachelor’s degree in Business Management from Metropolitan State University Denver and is currently working on obtaining her CMA Certification in Accounting. Baca has three adult children, one of whom also works at Creative West. During her downtime, Baca enjoys time with family, traveling, eating delicious food, watching movies, and reading the occasional book when time permits.

Mareike Bergen, ZAPP Manager
Mareike Bergen (she/her) serves as the ZAPP manager. She oversees the ZAPP product operations team to ensure customer satisfaction and retention along with technological growth for the ZAPP site. Bergen has a bachelor’s degree in mathematics with a computer science minor from Bethel College and a background in customer service and event planning. Originally from Kansas, she relocated to Denver after graduating from college. Outside of work, she enjoys snowboarding, hiking, and cooking.

Justine Chapel, ZAPP and CaFÉ Communications and Marketing Manager
Justine Chapel (she/her) is the communications and marketing manager for the ZAPP and CaFÉ programs. She leads the creation of external communications and marketing strategies for the CaFÉ and ZAPP teams. She received her bachelor’s degree in communication from the University of Colorado Boulder and currently resides in Denver. In her free time, she enjoys hiking, cooking and picking up new craft projects.

Aliah Chavez, Business Project Coordinator
Aliah Chavez (she/her) assists in providing customer support for the ZAPP and CaFÉ programs. She is currently attending Red Rocks Community College and will soon transfer to the University of Colorado to pursue a bachelor’s degree in nursing. Outside of work, she enjoys spending time with her husband and kids and reading.

Drew Chavez, ZAPP Customer Experience Coordinator
Drew Chavez (he/him) assists in providing customer support for the ZAPP program. Prior to joining Creative West, he worked as a sales representative and dog walker in the Denver metropolitan area. In his spare time, Chavez enjoys playing basketball and passing the time by going to the gym, reading, and spending time in nature.

Ken Cho, Sales Coordinator 
Ken Cho (he/him) is the sales coordinator at Creative West and primarily handles the sales efforts for CaFÉ and ZAPP. He is responsible for all inbound and outside sales initiatives that promote Creative West’s SaaS (Software As A Service) platforms while also coordinating with all related internal departments to create an exemplary customer service experience for all of Creative West’s clientele. Prior to joining Creative West, Cho lived on the East Coast in Washington, DC, and served as the senior local foods advocate for 4P Foods, a benefit corporation dedicated to helping small-scale organic farmers thrive in today’s food economy. Cho holds a bachelor’s degree in English from Elmhurst College. Outside of the office, he enjoys bicycle touring and fancy bike rides such as the Tweed Ride (where he met his wife, Laine), and is fascinated by 3D printing.

Amelia Leinbach, ZAPP Operations Coordinator
Amelia Leinbach (she/her) supports various ZAPP operations and processes, including contract renewals, client communication, and technical growth. Leinbach grew up in Colorado and earned a bachelor’s degree in sociology from Colorado State University. One of her favorite art pieces is “O Pescador de Violão” by Marcel Caram. In her free time, she enjoys hiking, watching tv, and eating pasta.

Erika McCloud, Business Operations Coordinator
Erika McCloud serves as the business operations coordinator at Creative West, where she contributes to Creative West’s business initiatives through overseeing contracts for CaFÉ and ZAPP, managing payment processing, and handling mail. McCloud is currently pursuing a business degree. In her leisure time, she enjoys traveling, cooking, painting, and cherishing moments with loved ones.

Jenna Sansonette, ZAPP Customer Support Coordinator
Jenna Sansonette assists customers with numerous ZAPP processes to ensure success on the platform. Her focus is onboarding new clients, holding new administrator orientations, and assisting clients with additional ZAPP services. Prior to joining Creative West, she was the Director of Customer Support for an international fair trade organization, working with artisans on a global scale. She has recently completed Front-End Development courses through the University of Illinois Springfield and plans to continue her education in UX design and web development.

Natalie Villa, Project Management Specialist
Natalie Villa manages the communication and technical processes among the internal technology team, the program teams, and external development companies for CaFÉ, CVSuite, GO Smart, Public Art Archive, and ZAPP. She creates and manages technical and business project plans, coordinates technical releases and sprints, aids in the development of new site features, supports the director of business, and acts as the technical accessibility manager. In addition to her project management work, Villa is an independent filmmaker who produces content for Creative West including the 50th Anniversary documentary series, Creative West Turns 50. She has received awards for her personal film work as well, including Best Amateur Film and Audience Choice awards at the Ridgway Moonwalk Film Festival and Best Documentary Short Film at the Oklahoma Cine Latino Film Festival for her short film, With the Power of a Thousand Suns. Villa earned a bachelor’s degree in film and television from the University of Colorado Denver.

The History of the Project

In 2001, Creative West convened several meetings with representatives of the National Association of Independent Artists (NAIA) and several major art shows to discuss the feasibility of developing a web-based system that would enable artists to apply to art fairs, festivals and shows online. Discussions regarding this technology continued over the next few years. In March 2004, Creative West began the development of an online application system in consultation with the NAIA and eight major art shows across the U.S. The system was branded as ZAPP, the universal online arts application, and was launched in September 2004.

 
ZAPP is brought to you by Creative West in partnership with:

• ArtiGras Fine Art Festival
• Ann Arbor Street Art Fair, the Original
• Bayou City Art Festivals
• Cherry Creek Arts Festival
• MAIN ST. Fort Worth Arts Festival
• Uptown Art Fair
• St. James Court Art Show

About Creative West (Formerly WESTAF)

Establishd in 1974, Creative West is a nonprofit U.S. Regional Arts Organization that builds equitable technology, funding, advocacy, and policy systems to generate creative capacity in the West and beyond. We provide technology solutions that equitably build bridges by connecting artists and arts organizations to opportunities and art-seekers with artists and artworks. Our technology platforms support livelihoods while also generating income that supports our regional work. Creative impact is everywhere, so our technology offerings are, too.

Creative West is an experienced technology developer, with five projects that benefit the arts and creative industries:
 

	CallforEntry.org™ (CaFÉ) CaFÉ is an online application submission system that strives to make art opportunities available to all by offering arts organizations an affordable submission platform and artists an easy way to apply.
	GO Smart™ GO Smart is an affordable grants management software that offers pre- and post-application forms, panel reviewing, and data reporting for grantmakers.
	Public Art Archive™ (PAA) The Public Art Archive (PAA) is a free, searchable, and continually growing online database of completed public artworks throughout the U.S. and abroad, with a suite of resources and tools built for managing public art collections.
	Creative Vitality™ Suite (CVSuite) The Creative Vitality Suite is a research-based economic development tool that offers high quality creative economy data and reporting to arts advocates, organizations, and researchers
	ZAPPlication.org™ (ZAPP) ZAPP provides art fair and festival administrators with a suite of tools to digitally collect and jury applications, manage booth payments, and communicate with applicants all in one easy-to-use digital platform. Artists can apply to hundreds of shows nationwide through a central website.