Contact:
Catherine Brandt
202-712-2054
[email protected]

In this current economic environment, businesses are continually seeking new ways to build their competitive advantage. To help them reach this goal, Americans for the Arts, the nation’s leading nonprofit organization for advancing the arts and arts education, today launched The pARTnership Movement, a new initiative designed to create mutually beneficial partnerships between arts and business institutions.  The Movement demonstrates how the arts can help business achieve these goals by enhancing the critical thinking, team building and creative skills of the corporate workforce while also enhancing communities to attract and retain employees. In addition, it prepares arts organizations to partner with businesses in new and innovative ways.

"The new landscape of arts and business partnerships offers much more than just exchange of money and goods. In fact, today's most innovative businesses are using the arts to help meet some of their most difficult and vital objectives," says Robert L. Lynch, president and CEO of Americans for the Arts. "When the arts and business partner, everyone profits.  However, not enough businesses recognize these benefits. The pARTnership Movement is designed to bridge that gap in understanding."

To help businesses better understand the myriad benefits of partnering with an arts organization, The pARTnership Movement—working with local arts agencies across the country—will place ads with major newspapers, magazines and other publications that demonstrate how partnering with the arts enhances critical thinking skills and creativity within the workforce as well as strengthens community engagement. In addition, Americans for the Arts is launching a new website, www.pARTnershipMovement.org, which provides businesses with the necessary information they need to engage in a rewarding partnership with an arts organization.  The website:

• Gives a comprehensive description of the benefits partnering with the arts brings, provides numerous case studies and creates a one-stop shop for building out connections in the community;
• Provides companies with a thorough overview of how and why the arts can help them realize business goals; and
• Includes a zip code finder that will allow businesses to easily locate Americans for the Arts’ member arts organizations across the country that are ready to partner.

"For many years, Aetna has chosen to partner with arts organizations in commu¬nities where our employees work and live. And through these partnerships, Aetna has made great strides in meeting many of our business goals," says Floyd W. Green, Head of Community Relations and Urban Marketing at Aetna. "The pARTnership Movement is a critical step to ensuring that businesses and arts organizations better align their strategies and efforts to create partnerships that generate a mutual return on investment."

The Movement also offers arts organizations the tools they need to more effectively partner with the businesses in their communities, including:

• Case studies that showcase innovative ideas and program concepts and multi-channel aspects to highly successful partnerships that deepen over time;
• Nuts and Bolts to creating a solid business proposition for partnering with the arts and making an initial request;
• Opportunities to connect with business leaders, gleaning valuable tips directly from the source; and
• Opportunities to network with and learn from peers.

"The future of the American economy depends on innovation, spurred by creativity and inspiration," says William T. Kerr, president and CEO, Arbitron and Chairman, BCA Executive Board of Americans for the Arts. "By leveraging the creative spirit of the arts through a productive arts partnership, businesses have a unique opportunity to build a more cohesive work environment, increase productivity and ultimately bolster the economy. "

Americans for the Arts is the leading nonprofit organization for advancing the arts and arts education in America. With offices in Washington, D.C. and New York City, it has a record of more than 50 years of service. Americans for the Arts is dedicated to representing and serving local communities and creating opportunities for every American to participate in and appreciate all forms of the arts. Additional information is available at www.AmericansForTheArts.org.