Altria Group, Inc.
(Received Award as Philip Morris Companies Inc.)
New York, New York
Bestowed 1992

Altria Group, Inc. [formerly Philip Morris Companies Inc.] began supporting the arts nearly 35 years ago to spark employee creativity, to embrace innovation and diversity, and to reinforce its progressive operating philosophy. Altria commits approximately 25% of its annual philanthropic budget to the arts, which amounts to millions of dollars each year.

Altria has benefited the arts, business and the community by:

• Underwriting hundreds of art exhibitions, including “Pop and Op,” “The Vatican Collections: The Papacy and Art,” “Primitivism in 20th Century Art: Affinity of the Tribal and the Modern,” “The Precious Legacy: Judaic Treasures from the Czechoslovak State Collections,” “The Age of Sultan Suleyman the Magnificent,” “Memory and Metaphor: The Art of Romare Bearden 1940-1987,” “Albert Bierstadt: Art and Enterprise,” and “The Flowering of American Folk Art, 1776-1876.”
• Supporting performing arts programs and tours to nurture creativity, build audiences and encourage the presentation of new works. Among the company's sponsorships are the Brooklyn Academy of Music's “Next Wave Festival;” national tours of the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater and The Joffrey Ballet; and the Dance Project, which provides funding to more than 70 dance organizations that have contributed to the development of dance in the United States.
• Becoming the first business to devote corporate advertisements exclusively to the arts to encourage the public to attend arts programs and to increase public awareness of its support of the arts. The company has also created documentary films in connection with several of its exhibition sponsorships, which have been broadcast on public television.
• Sponsoring “Americans and the Arts,” a nationwide public opinion survey since 1973. Additionally, company executives frequently make presentations about the importance of the arts, the merits of corporate sponsorship of the arts and the need for government funding of the arts.
• Encouraging smaller arts organizations to pool resources and develop alternative funding strategies as a result of the company's corporate leadership grant to establish the Arts Forward Fund, a consortium of business and foundation grantsmakers designed to encourage arts organizations to be innovative and forward thinking in their planning.
• Establishing in 1983, a branch of the Whitney Museum of American Art in its New York headquarters, and displaying works of contemporary art from the company's art collection throughout its headquarters building, as well as in its offices around the world.
• Encouraging executives to serve on the boards of many cultural organizations, and employees to volunteer extensively with arts organizations. The company also has a two-to-one employee matching gifts program for cultural institutions.