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Last week, we packed out a partially restored 1930s single-screen movie house in our town’s up-and-coming downtown area. How did we do it? Three simple words: Arts Mean Business.

We, being East End Arts, a nonprofit community arts organization out in eastern Long Island, operating a School of the Arts, an art gallery, and presenting a variety of events and programs to promote the arts year-round.

“Arts Mean Business” was a forum that we presented for the region’s arts and business leaders: we invited business owners, artists, local government, arts organizations, community leaders, nonprofit organizations, and community members to the seminar with keynote presentation and panel discussion by notable arts and business leaders demonstrating the value of partnering with the arts to strengthen the economic vitality of Long Island.

We weren’t so sure how the community would respond to this sort of forum, but the immediate responses to our first marketing efforts proved that it would be a successful venture and indeed it was.

“Arts Mean Business” completely sold out—we were thrilled to learn that our local community wanted to know what we had to say about a very important topic: partnership between the arts and business communities of all shapes and sizes.

The group of 150 attendees represented a great sample of the people we were hoping to reach. It was really a 50/50 crowd of arts people and business people, with a few government officials in the mix.

We are so grateful that our friends at the Suffolk Theater agreed to host us in their space. The 1930s art deco-style theater has been closed since the 1980s, but is in the process of being restored with the goal to open by the end of 2012.

Guests were excited to see the majestic and historic space and meeting there really spoke to the creative process—and the endless possibilities for the future of our downtown area on the rise, and for the economic strength of all of Long Island.

Emily Peck, director of private sector initiatives for Americans for the Arts, joined us as the keynote speaker of the event, presented The pARTnership Movement, and reviewed the eight reasons that businesses should partner with the arts.

Some of the statistics that really resonated with the audience related to the economic value of the arts to the community and region: Nationally, the nonprofit arts and culture industry generates $166.2 billion in economic activity every year—$63.1 billion in spending by organizations and an additional $103.1 billion in event-related spending by their audiences.

Much like the audience, our panel of speakers for the second portion of the forum represented a nice range of arts and business leader perspectives for the panel discussion: Eric Alexander from Vision Long Island; Rob Salvatico from Hotel Indigo; artist Elaine Thompson; Bob Spiotto from the Suffolk Theater; and Michelle Isabelle-Stark from Suffolk County Economic Development.Our moderator was David Winzelberg from Long Island Business News.

An important piece of the design of the day was to have this panel discussion be as interactive as possible—with attendees’ burning questions being answered on the spot. After the keynote presentation, attendees were asked to submit questions for the panel, and each question was addressed, as well as any others that came up.

A goal of this event was to help connect people and industries. Attendees stayed well after the forum closed—and well beyond lunch and the theater tours—to discuss their greatest ideas and to make as many connections as possible.

We were thrilled with the success of this event, and have since decided to hold a similar event on a regular basis.

We thank the Long Island Community Foundation for funding this program, as well as event media sponsor The Times-Review Newspapers. Additional thanks goes to the Riverhead Chamber of Commerce for partnering with us on this, and to Digger’s Pub & Restaurant and the Blue Duck Bakery for providing the food. Special thanks goes to our friends at the Suffolk Theater for hosting us in their beautiful, partially restored space.

And, breakfast provided by the Blue Duck Bakery is a perfect example of a successful partnership. The new bakery will be opening its doors in a few short weeks and the owners approached us prior to the event looking to donate some baked goods. Not only did they feed the crowd with their pastries and set the tone for the morning, they benefited from exposure to 150 people who now know they will be opening soon. Now that’s what we call a win-win!

In a conversation centered on the pARTnership Movement and how businesses can partner with the arts to strengthen the economic vitality of Long Island, East End Arts is hosting Americans for the Arts’ own Emily Peck as keynote speaker of the forum Arts Mean Business on Thursday, September 20, from 9 AM until 1 PM at the Suffolk Theater.

Earlier this week Emily spoke with WPKN about the pARTnership Movement and the Arts Mean Business Forum. Take a listen!

East End Arts invites business owners, artists, local government, arts organizations, community leaders, nonprofit organizations, and community members to this arts and business forum with keynote presentation and panel discussion. For information and to register, http://eastendarts.org/events/index.html

Are you interested in learning what our business-focused affiliates have been paying attention to this year?

Respondents of the annual Private Sector Survey were asked to answer questions regarding their programs and initiatives fostering collaboration between arts and business. The survey requested detailed information regarding specific programs that support arts and business relationships.

Programs like board training are often components of local arts agencies, but many programs designed to engage the business world may be new to the wider field. We invite you to explore the survey and learn more about how your organization can expand its partnerships with the business world.

The 2011 Report surveyed eight Arts & Business Council (ABC) affiliates, 11 Business Committees for the Arts (BCA), 13 Business Volunteers for the Arts (BVA) affiliates, and 56 United Arts Funds (UAF), making up a universe of 83 organizations that focus on collaboration between arts and business. Of these 83 organizations, 52 completed survey responses. (To learn more about all of our private sector affiliates, visit our Private Sector Network page.)

Here are some of the most relevant statistics collected in this year’s survey:

• Nearly three-quarters of the responding organizations (71 percent) served multiple county regions or combined city and county regions. The average population size of the geographic area served by all responding organizations was more than 7.1 million.
• Responding organizations provided a total of $70.2 million in the form of grants or contracts to support arts organizations and/or individual artists during fiscal year 2011. A total of 3,028 arts organizations and individual artists were supported by this funding.
• Responding United Arts Funds raised a total of $80.9 Million in 2011.
• Total arts organizations served through responding UAF, ABC, BVA, and BCA arts and business partnership programs: 3,920.
• Total businesses served through responding UAF, ABC, BVA, and BCA arts and business partnership programs: 3,791.
• The most common programs that served arts organizations were seminar and/or workshops, advocacy resources, technical assistance, arts management training, and publicity & promotion services.
• The most common programs that served businesses were networking opportunities, board training and/or placement, ticket discounts, and seminars, forums, and workshops.
• 67 percent of the Private Sector Network affiliates hold recognition events that honor business support for the arts.
• 35 percent of responding organizations operated some type of board development programs during their fiscal year 2011. These programs made a total of 216 board placements, served approximately 702 people, and were predominantly funded by a combination of grants, fees, and sponsorships.

Ten out of 13 Business Volunteers for the Arts® affiliates responded to the survey. According to those organizations:

• 278 arts and cultural organizations were served by BVA volunteers during fiscal year 2011.
• 380 total businesses provided volunteers.
• According to respondents, 640 volunteers donated 9,256 hours of pro bono consulting during fiscal year 2011. At the mid-consultant rate of $120 per hour the donated amount equals $1,110,720.
• The most common types of BVA projects for which volunteers were requested to lend their expertise were marketing & PR, finance & administration, strategic planning, and information technology.
• The art disciplines that were most represented by the clients/customers of BVA programs were dance, music, presenting, and theatre.
• The dollar value of cash and in-kind resources donated by BVA volunteers and their employers was approximately $1,403,335.
• According to respondents the most common alternative ways that businesses supported the arts in their communities was by serving on the board of the organization with whom they were initially matched as a BVA, speaking at workshops/events, participating in board development programs, and attending recognition or fundraising events.
• 90 percent of respondents anticipated the number of BVA volunteers to either increase or stay at the same level during fiscal year 2012.

The report also details which businesses provide volunteers and which provide support for the BVA program. You can also find out the actions each of the respondents takes to cultivate and strengthen relationships with community leadership groups and businesses.

We have seen great growth in business and arts programs nationally and we encourage you to continue increasing your efforts in partnering with the business community in ways that benefit the entire community. I hope that the information in the 2011 Private Sector Survey will provide inspiration!

*Originally posted on ARTSblog

*Photo courtesy of Irargerich.

Bill, the Shakespeare of Litigation made an appearance in the Central Penn Business Journal through the work of The Cultural Enrichment Fund in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania.

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After several years of trying, I was happy to finally snag a meeting with the Montgomery County (Maryland) Chamber of Commerce to make a presentation called Innovative Ways to Attract/Retain Top Talent: Innovative Arts & Humanities Community Strategies. How did I do it? Sheer perseverance!!

Why did it take me nearly two years to convince the president and CEO of the chamber of commerce that arts-centric businesses play an important role in building and sustaining economic vibrancy?

Because like many corporate professionals, she was skeptical that we could demonstrate that partnering with our sector can build market share; heighten awareness of member company products and services; attract employees; increase job satisfaction; and, enhance relationships with existing and new customers.

Like so many of her peers, she was unaware of that arts-centric businesses spend money locally, attract talented young professionals, generate government revenue at a high rate of return, and serve as a cornerstone of tourism and economic development

So I kept at it. And finally, she shared that her members’ most pressing concern was employee retention. She asked whether the arts and humanities community could offer strategies that would help corporate employers attract and retain top talent.

When I emphatically assured her that we could, she eagerly invited me to make a presentation to a joint meeting of the Economic Development and Small Business Committees. I was thrilled! So, of course I asked former Montgomery County Arts and Humanities Council Board Member Mara Walker (also the chief operating officer of Americans for the Arts) to join me and bring her pARTnership Movement slides. I knew our dynamic duo would hit a home run!

Mara prepared a stellar presentation draft and we edited it together. She also prepared a captivating narrative that demonstrated how harnessing the creative community has helped specific multinational companies gain a competitive advantage and advance their business strategies. From the first slide, our audience was hooked!

Our presentation went smoothly, so much so that one of the members immediately invited us to make another presentation for their company within the month. And we will!

We must continue to give practical examples of how the business community can consider the arts and humanities as a resource for creative problem-solving and that our sector can help to build market share.

As we further develop our relationships within the business community, we can help them heighten awareness of their company’s products and services, attract new employees, and provide them ways to increase job satisfaction and enhance relationships with existing and new customers.

It’s not often that we can see and feel a win-win, but in this case it worked!

(Editor’s Note: Join Suzan at the Americans for the Arts Annual Convention in San Antonio for the Private-Sector Funding in the New Normal session to hear more.)

*This post was originally posted on ARTSblog.  Photo: Suzan Jenkins, CEO of the Arts & Humanities Council of Montgomery County (right) and Mara Walker, COO Americans for the Arts address the Economic Development and Small Business Committees.

Most community leaders don’t think about the arts much and most don’t really believe there is a link between arts and economic development.

I try to change that by hosting my own arts and economic development planning process, but I do it on a shoe string—quick, dirty, and cheap. It’s exhausting, but totally worth it.

Last year we started 20/20 Vision—the ten year plan for arts and economic development. On March 20, 2012 we unveiled our ten strategies: five community strategies and five county-wide.

20/20 Vision has already dramatically changed the landscape for the arts in Stark County (Ohio). We have new partners (and new dollars) available for the arts from places we’d never touched before.

Business leaders like Robert Timkin, managing director of Cormony Development, are leading the effort by planning to increase creativity and innovation in business through arts-based workshops, and increase cultural tourism by creating a marketing partnership between five major nonprofit tourism attractions in downtown Canton.

This strategic marketing partnership hopes to dramatically increase the number of visitors and increase overnight stays, as well as create day trip opportunities for arts destinations throughout the rest of the county.

Hear the quick story of how they did it on ARTSblog.

Spring is my favorite time of year because companies across Kansas City begin luring artists, writers, musicians, dancers, and filmmakers from their cubes for the sixth annual Art@Work corporate arts festival.

When the program began in 2007, I believed Art@Work was about showcasing the arts in all of its various forms. I know now that it’s about showcasing people.

Two years ago, Pat Wigley, a cable lineman at Kansas City Power & Light, created a sculpture of a wind-bent tree using the overhead line he works on every day. His co-workers awarded Into the Storm a first place ribbon and advanced Pat’s sculpture to our city-wide competition.

During the opening reception, I was approached by a teenage boy who saw the piece and wanted to know more about it. After we found Pat and his wife in the crowd, the boy energetically shook Pat’s hand and exclaimed, “It’s an honor to meet you, sir. You’ve inspired me to become an artist.” Pat looked confused but his wife absolutely beamed.

The two talked for a while about electricity,  wire-bending techniques, and inspiration. Before he left, the boy shook Pat’s hand again and said, “I’m going home to start making art right now.”

Pat told me that Into the Storm was the first piece of art he had ever made…he had always wanted to be an artist but had just never tried.

He then carefully took out of his backpack two cloth bundles and carefully unwrapped his latest work. The pieces were delicately sculpted flowers made from antique sterling silver forks and spoons that Pat had painstakingly polished to a Tiffany-like luster. They were absolutely stunning.

Many more sculptures soon followed as I received photographs of dancers, hummingbirds, and more flowers.

This past December, Pat shared that the Kansas Grassroots Art Museum wanted one of his sculptures for their permanent collection.

Art@Work allows cable linemen, database analysts, security guards, and CEOs to be artists; to inspire and to be inspired.

Many employees say that they feel more visible and respected at work after sharing their paintings or poetry. Others say that new friendships are formed as co-workers discover they hold a shared passion. Some say that they dust off guitars and paintbrushes and rediscover a long-forgotten love. Transformations occur.

Over the next few months, many Kansas City companies will discover the hidden talents of their workforce. My hope is that they will also discover the invigorating energy, passion, and imagination of their artists.

This blog was originally posted on ARTSblog.

*Photo "Against the Wind" by William 'Pat' Wigley

The company, Glatfelter Insurance Group, has 500 employees and is one of the largest privately held insurance brokers in the United States. They not only value the arts as a tool for human resources (very pragmatic), but also as a way to get their message across in engaging ways—sponsoring interesting art exhibits, both traditional and non-traditional shows, and symphony and pops concerts.

The company also knows that, for example, the fourth of July concert and fireworks draws 20,000 disparate people together to enjoy the sounds of the York Symphony who might never enjoy symphonic music.

Their partnership helps us (Cultural Alliance of York County) raise money among other companies as the new investors see the excitement and involvement of Glatfelter Insurance Company’s employees and their desire to make York the best place to be, so they want to give!

Glatfelter Insurance Company inspires and rewards their employees with all the benefits arts have to offer. And their mission, beyond their business, is to help be a positive part of the community where many of their employees live, work, and raise families. With their prominent name as an arts supporter, they inspire others to join them.

This is an excerpt from a blog originally posted on ARTSblog.

#1 Richmond has an enviable business community as evidenced by its being one of only 11 cities to be headquarters to more than five Fortune 500 companies and one of only 12 cities to have a Federal Reserve Bank.

#2 Richmond’s arts/culture community is likewise enviable as evidenced by its emergence from the recession with all of its major arts and culture organizations thriving: symphony, opera, ballet, theatre, art museum, science museum, history museum, children’s museum, botanical garden, and many dozens more.

#3 Richmond has a slew of enviable national creative superlatives such as being home to the #1 marketing company (Martin Agency – think Geico gekko), #1 public art university (VCU), #1 university advertising program (VCU Adcenter), and forthcoming building designed by the #1 architect (Steven Holl).

Those three sentences have resulted in a three-year Greater Richmond Chamber-led initiative entitled i.e.* – a grand partnership that spotlights and energizes creativity and innovation for three purposes: enable the business community to leverage the creative community in accomplishing real business objectives; provide expanded audiences for the creative community; and foster new relationships and partnerships.

Richmond’s local arts agency—CultureWorks—is one of the active partners with the Chamber’s i.e.* initiative and three current projects demonstrate the partnership’s value.

In January 2012, CultureWorks partnered with 15 of the city’s major companies to present an art exhibition entitled “Creative Capital—Corporate Richmond Collects”: artworks from corporate collections that had never been viewed by the public. There was a public opening reception and a catalogue about the corporations and their collections. CultureWorks and the Greater Richmond Chamber partnered to host a private reception specifically for leaders from the business and arts communities.

Read the rest of the post on ARTSblog.