Americans for the Arts Updates–December 2016
A program of the Private Sector Network at Americans for the Arts
 
Post-Election Statement on the Importance of the Arts 
In response to election results, Americans for the Arts President and CEO Robert L. Lynch penned this statement, reminding readers of the great strength and resiliency that binds us together, and vowing to work hard to advance pro-arts policies and strengthen our efforts to transform communities through the arts. Bob also authored this Huffington Post piece to further discuss results and hopes.
 
2017 BCA 10 Nominations
Nominations for the BCA 10 are open! We’re looking for the best businesses in America partnering with the arts.Presented annually by Americans for the Arts' Business Committee for the Arts, the BCA 10 Awards recognize the 10 best businesses partnering with the arts in America. Past honorees include AutoZone, Dogfish Head Craft Brewery, Edward Jones, John Deere, Johnson & Johnson, Microsoft, Scholastic, and many other businesses of all sizes. Help us recognize great companies by nominating a business in your community that partners with the arts.  Nominations close January 13, 2017. If you have any questions, please contact Jessica Gaines.
 
New Advocacy Tool-Kit on the pARTnership Movement
Partnering with businesses is a necessity for all segments of the arts community, both private and public. In the latest tool-kit from the pARTnership Movement, learn how state arts advocacy organizations are partnering with the business community to lead events, community development initiatives, and programs that bridge the gap between arts and business goals. Read more. 
 
National Survey of Business Support for the Arts
Dear LAA field: we need your help! We’re hoping to get as many businesses as we can–large and small, from every sector, from all over the country–to participate in this year’s BCA Survey of Business Support for the Arts. And we need your help to do it.  The BCA Survey is only created every 3 years, and in those 3 years we use the data in nearly every piece of private sector information, e-blast, report, resource, etc. that we send to the local arts field. We also use that data to build the case for business support for the arts. The success of our argument for arts and biz in the next 3 years hinges in part on how many businesses we can get to participate–we need you! Please send the survey information and link below to your business network, and let them know that they are supporting the arts simply by filling it out!
 
Take Part in Arts Advocacy Day this March
On March 20–21, 2017, join Americans for the Arts and leaders and individuals from the private and public sectors in Washington, DC to underscore the importance of developing strong public policies and appropriating public funding for the arts. Learn more and get involved.
 
From the pARTnership Movement 
A new initiative launched this month in Phoenix, AZ to showcase and inspire business engagement with the arts: ArtWORKS PHX. ArtWORKS PHX is Phoenix’s fresh, digital arts and business campaign that encourages local businesses to tell their story of arts partnership and connects businesses to arts resources. Modeled after the pARTnership Movement with the interest of attracting employees, inspiring creative, and fostering collaboration, this site, organized by Phoenix Community Alliance, joins Americans for the Arts national drive to promote arts in the workplace.
 
On October 5, 2016, Robert Buchsbaum, CEO of Blick Art Materials, the nation’s premier art supply source, accepted Americans for the Arts' 2016 BCA Leadership Award at the BCA 10 gala at the Central Park Boathouse in NYC. During his speech, he recognized the arts for injecting courage, confidence, and creativity into leaders. He also acknowledged that leading an art supply company, he understands how imperative it is for the arts to survive and flourish, especially for youth. Watch the speech. 
 
From ARTSblog
Creativity is the driving force of innovative technologies. The Arts & Business Council of New York dedicated its annual fall speaker series to exploring the intersection of arts and technology, with panelists from the Knight Foundation, Kickstarter, Rhizome, and Google Creative Lab. The event showcased companies that have developed and utilized new technologies to tap into the creative economy—transforming how the arts are accessed, produced, and funded. Read more.
 
Job Bank
After nearly 10 years at Colorado Business Committee for the Arts (CBCA), Executive Director Deborah Jordy is leaving to serve as the new head of the Scientific & Cultural Facilities District. As such, CBCA (based in Denver) is currently searching for a new Executive Director. Learn more.  
 
Culture Works, a united arts fund in Dayton, OH, is currently searching for a new Executive Director. Learn more.
 
More
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Have updates you’d like to share with the field? Feel free to email them to the United Arts Fund, Private Sector Network, or Business Volunteers for the Arts® listservs, or email me to include them in the next news roundup.