The pARTnership Movement
 Absolut Vodka Drinks Up the Texas Landscape
Absolut, the Swedish vodka brand, has just released the eighth addition to its U.S.-themed flavors—Absolut Texas, a cucumber and serrano chili infused vodka with a befittingly iconic original artistic label. The Absolut Texas bottle was designed in partnership with San Antonio artist Cruz Ortiz, whose imagery features a cowboy boot against a stylized Texas landscape and Absolut founder Lars Olsson Smith wearing a cowboy hat. According to Absolut, the company has a great history of working with creative talents and Ortiz was the perfect match for Absolut Texas. Read more at the pARTnership Movement. All Aboard Amtrak's New Writer-in-Residency Program
Amtrak is taking its new writer-in-residency program for a run, with test trips from New York to Chicago and others in the works. The program was inspired by fans on Twitter who suggested that Amtrak should host a residency program for writers. The goal now is for the company to engage with writers several times per month through this free/low-cost initiative, and create an inspirational environment for them to work in. Read the full story at the pARTnership Movement. MAXIMUS Supports Drug Abuse Exhibit at Maryland Science Center
MAXIMUS, a provider of government services worldwide, is supporting the Target America: Opening Eyes to the Damage Drugs Cause, organized by the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) at the Maryland Science Center in Baltimore. This exhibit has been seen by millions of students, teachers, and parents throughout the United States since 2002, and uses interactive features to show how drug abuse affects everyone. MAXIMUS has been an important supporter of the DEA Education Foundation in its effort to prevent drug abuse and addiction. Read more at the pARTnership Movement.  Congratulations to Yili Zhou, 2014 NABE Scholarship Recipient
The NABE Foundation, the charitable arm of the National Association for Business Economics (NABE), and Americans for the Arts jointly announced that Yili Zhou has won the 6th annual NABE Foundation Americans for the Arts Scholarship Award. Zhou was presented with the scholarship on Monday, February 24 during a luncheon at the NABE Economic Policy Conference in Arlington, VA. The $5,000 scholarship will support the study and application of economics in her graduate studies and professional career. She is currently pursuing a master's in economics at Columbia University and has a B.A. in economics from China. Zhou has studied acting, jazz, and ballet and is a filmmaker. Read more at AmericansForTheArts.org.
Private Sector Network ArtsWestchester Launches Arts and Business Partnerships Initiative for Its 50th Anniversary
In celebration of its milestone 50th anniversary in 2015, ArtsWestchester recently announced that over the next two years, the organization plans to inspire 50 new partnerships with local companies. Throughout the years, ArtsWestchester has had a robust history of diverse business partnerships with such corporations as IBM, PepsiCo, First Niagara, Con Edison, J.P. Morgan Chase, Maxx Properties, RPW Group and Entergy, and more recently with Aetna Foundation, Curtis Instruments, Westchester Medical Center, Regeneron, and the Cross County Shopping Center. Learn more about the organization’s new business initiative at ArtsWestchester.org.  | “These partnerships not only support the arts, but they have been shown to be good for business in that they promote innovative thinking and creativity in the workplace, strengthen community engagement, and increase the vibrancy of places to live and work.” -Janet Langsam, CEO, ArtsWestchester | Facts and Figures
Bottom Line: The Arts Could Be Your Company’s Greatest Asset
Emily Peck, vice president of Private Sector Initiatives at Americans for the Arts, discusses the BCA National Survey of Business Support for the Arts and the most recent Giving in Numbers report, published by CECP in association with The Conference Board. Both reports make the case for business support for the arts and demonstrate the many ways partnering with the arts can advance business goals. Still, according to the BCA Survey, 73 percent of businesses that support the arts consider the arts a moderate to very low priority. This means that there is still work to be done to ensure that corporate support of the arts is ingrained in business philanthropy. Read more at the Conference Board. 
Priority of Arts Support, 2012
Source: Americans for the Arts, 2013
Take Note
Arts Advocacy Day and the Nancy Hanks Lecture on Arts and Public Policy
March 24–25, Washington, DC
Hosted by Americans for the Arts and cosponsored by 85+ national arts organizations, Arts Advocacy Day is the largest gathering of its kind, bringing together a broad cross section of America's cultural and civic organizations. Acclaimed New York Times columnist Maureen Dowd will kick off the event, delivering the 27th Annual Nancy Hanks Lecture on Arts and Public Policy. What's at stake in 2014? Between tax reform, budget battles, and education reauthorization, support for arts and arts education is facing many challenges on Capitol Hill this year. As Congress and the administration grapple with ever-changing policy proposals, it is imperative that arts advocates come to Washington, DC to make sure the arts to make their voices heard! Registration is still available onsite on March 24 and 25. WEBINAR: Engaging Business Advocates
Wednesday, April 23, 3:00pm ET
Americans for the Arts is proud to announce the launch of a revitalized webinar program in 2014. Bearing in mind the skills and expertise that arts organizations and arts administrators need to stay relevant, vigorous, and vital in changing times, we are planning an exciting roster of 25 webinars within five new topic areas: Arts and Community, Embracing Diversity, Reinvention and Sustainability, Supply and Demand, and Building Core Skills (101s). Check out the full line-up of webinars for 2014 at AmericansForTheArts.org, including “Engaging Business Advocates” on Wednesday, April 23, 2014 at 3:00 p.m. ET, where you’ll learn how to engage the business leaders in your community as arts advocates and advisors. Final Weeks to Submit Proposals for the 2014 National Arts Marketing Project (NAMP) Conference
 Americans for the Arts invites you to submit a proposal for the National Arts Marketing Project Conference in Atlanta, GA, November 7–10, 2014. This internationally recognized conference is dedicated to providing cutting-edge arts marketing, audience engagement, and fundraising strategies. NAMP attracts perspectives and insights drawn from those working in the performing, visual, and literary arts as well as those from state and local arts agencies. As the only national, cross-disciplinary meeting dedicated to teaching the latest trends in arts marketing and engagement, NAMP is designed to focus on skill-building. The Conference aims to provide attendees with concrete tools and strategies that have immediate practical application with measurable outcomes. We are seeking proposals for two types of presentations: - Conference Sessions should be complete learning experiences with specific measurable outcomes and learning objectives. Conference sessions are led by 2-3 practitioners with one moderator to guide the discussion.
- Roundtable Discussions are intimate, facilitated group conversations focused on topics of interest and importance to arts leaders in areas of marketing, fundraising, and engagement. Roundtable discussions are led by one presenter.
Submit your session proposal today at ArtsMarketing.org. Deadline for proposals is April 8! Work With Us
Now Hiring: Arts & Business Council of New York Program Coordinator
 Want to work with Americans for the Arts? We are hiring an Arts & Business Council of New York (ABC/NY) Program Coordinator to oversee programs and communications that promote creative partnerships between the arts and business communities, such as Business Volunteers for the Arts® and employee engagement through the arts, Emerging Leaders of New York (ELNYA), the Multicultural Arts Management Internship program, and professional development workshops and webinars for the arts and business communities. For more information and to apply, visit AmericansForTheArts.org. Speaking from Experience
 | “Healthy, vibrant arts and cultural organizations help create healthy, vibrant communities. We look to the arts for the creative quality and energy of their programs, as well as to teach our children, to build bridges among diverse communities and to serve as catalysts for community revitalization and economic development. Our support of the arts is just good business.” -Robert G. Wilmers, Chairman and CEO, M&T Bank |
|
