The pARTnership Movement
Creative Conversations: Art of the Partnership
Partnerships, not transactions, are the best and most meaningful way for businesses and arts organizations and artists to work together in the 21st century. It’s a complete re-imagination of the relationship between arts and businesses, but one that is vital to the success of both the arts and business in America. This past November, Americans for the Arts and The Conference Board convened business leaders and artists for the first in a series of Creative Conversations about how the business and arts sectors can leverage their respective resources to achieve vital industry objectives. Read an op-ed article from the Richmond Times-Dispatch written by Americans for the Arts President and CEO Robert L. Lynch and The Conference Board CEO Jon Spector regarding these Creative Conversations and the future of the relationship between arts and business. Turning STEM into STEAM
On February 6, 2013, Rep. Suzanne Bonamici (D-OR) asked witnesses about the importance of STEAM (science, technology, engineering, art & design, mathematics) education in preparing students for the business world before a hearing of the U.S. House Committee on Science, Space and Technology. Witnesses at the hearing included Texas Instruments President and CEO Richard Templeton; Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute President Dr. Shirley Ann Jackson; and National Academy of Engineering President Dr. Charles Vest. Watch the testimony. (Photo courtesy of STEAMedu.com.)  | “It’s one thing to have numbers and concepts. If they cannot be brought together and visualized and turned into a product, it’s knowledge that will not lead to productive things…I do think it’s important to be mindful of the basics, be it the math and science principles, because if we don’t have that foundation in place, you can never get to some of the higher level concepts. I think keeping those in balance is a wonderful thing.”
-Richard Templeton, President and CEO, Texas Instruments |
Private Sector Network
Know a Creative and Effective Fundraiser? Nominate Them Now for the Michael Newton Award!
The Michael Newton Award, as pioneered by the United Arts Fund movement, is given at the Americans for the Arts Annual Convention to an individual, staff member, or volunteer in recognition of his or her innovation in developing private sector partnerships for the arts and/or long-term achievement in effective and creative fundraising techniques. For more information and to nominate, visit the Americans for the Arts website. Nominations close at 5:00 p.m. ET on March 15, 2013.
Wells Fargo Awards $50,000 Grant to AzCA
Wells Fargo awarded a $50,000 NeighborhoodLIFT grant to Arizona Citizens Action for the Arts (AzCA) to manage and operate Business Volunteers for the Arts (BVA), a program of Americans for the Arts matching business volunteers with a range of skills with arts organizations in metropolitan Phoenix. AzCA was one of six organizations to receive a total of $1 million in grants through the Wells Fargo NeighborhoodLIFT program that was launched early last year. AzCA recently took over the BVA program from the Arts & Business Council of Greater Phoenix which suspended operation last year. Since the program launch in Arizona in 1990, more than 1,400 business volunteers had been recruited, providing more than $3.7 million in consulting services. For more information, visit arizona.broadwayworld.com. Facts and Figures
Arts Goers More Likely to Volunteer, Have Better Overall Health
The Arts and Individual Well-Being in Canada report examines whether connections exist between Canadians’ cultural activities and their personal well-being. The data in the report show that there is a strong connection between 18 cultural activities and eight indicators of health and well-being (such as health, mental health, volunteering, feeling stressed, and overall satisfaction with life). Art gallery visits, theater, classical music, pop music and cultural festival attendance, and reading books were especially linked with higher volunteerism. Visit HillStrategies.com to read the full report.
Volunteer Committees & Councils on the Rise
The 2012 VolunteerMatch Employee Volunteer Program (EVP) Client Insights Survey found that most (71 percent) programs have built volunteer committees or councils to help support volunteer program managers and localize volunteer activities. Many of these committees are self-selecting groups of employees who are highly engaged in the EVP and looking for additional ways to play a leadership role. Allowing—and empowering—employees to take this advanced position is not only a way to help ease the pressure from the program manager, but also builds participation by having many “program champions” showcasing their enthusiasm and passion. Visit VolunteerMatch.org to learn more. Take Note
Business Speak: Can We Talk? Strategies on How to Build and Fund Successful Volunteer Programs
April 25, 2013 at 3:00 p.m.ET
Businesses often promote volunteerism as one of the key elements of employee engagement and arts organizations are looking for ways to increase involvement with skilled volunteers. Learn practical strategies on how to build and fund a successful volunteer program in your community. This webinar is presented in partnership with the Arts & Business Council of New York and is supported, in part, by public funds from the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs in partnership with the City Council, and by the New York State Council on the Arts with the support of Governor Andrew Cuomo and the New York State Legislature. To learn more and to register, visit Americans for the Arts webinars.
Speaking from Experience  | “We were inspired to support the arts and lead the Crossroads Carnegie Arts Center project because of the impact the arts could have on children in our small, rural, isolated and financially-challenged community. Today our vision is being realized on a daily basis through programs being delivered at the art center and in schools by dedicated Crossroads’ staff, board, artists, and volunteers.” -Kathleen Chaves, CEO, Chaves Consulting, Inc. and Richard Chaves, Founder and President, Chaves Consulting, Inc.
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