BCA 10 Spotlight: Phillips 66 (Houston, Texas)

“As a company committed to improving lives, Phillips 66 is proud to support the arts. Our communities are enriched by the arts, precisely because art touches and changes lives in ways that are positive and profound. It’s one important way we can make a difference in the places where our employees live and work.” -Greg Garland, Chairman and CEO, Phillips 66

Phillips 66 debuted in 2012 as an independent energy company after a split from ConocoPhillips. Since then, the company has prioritized the arts as a part of its commitment to enriching the civic life of the communities in which it operates. Phillips 66 recognizes that the arts are a way to bring communities together, engage employees, and support youth.

Americans for the Arts is excited to honor Phillips 66 at the BCA 10 Gala on October 2, 2018 in New York City. Click here to learn more about the BCA 10.

The company is present in its community through its support of arts and cultural events. Phillips 66 has been one of the Houston Symphony’s leading corporate donors for the past four years, by supporting the Houston Symphony Ball and programs such as Film With Live Orchestra performances. The organization is also a presenting sponsor of free performances at Miller Outdoor Theatre by Stages Repertory Theatre and the Society for the Performing Arts. Internally, Phillips 66 understands the value of the arts and volunteer work when it comes to engaging its own employees. The company encourages their employees to volunteer at various organizations by offering up to two days of company-paid volunteer time. In addition to matching gifts to charities of up to $15,000, the company also donates $500 for every 20 hours an employee spends volunteering.

Last year, all Phillips 66 employees were invited to an orchestra performance by the Houston Symphony, led by Associate Conductor Robert Franz. Tickets to other performances were used as an incentive for participation in the company’s United Way Campaign, a charity dedicated to creating long-lasting community change. Phillips 66 also engages with employees’ children by hosting an art contest each year. Entrants create artwork that depicts something safety-related, and the winners are selected for Phillips 66’s annual Life Saving Rules Calendar.

Phillips 66 is also dedicated to increasing youth’s access to the arts. The company and its employees facilitated Camp Adventure!, a collaboration between the Houston Symphony and Barbara Bush Houston Literacy Foundation (BBHLF). Due to the support of Phillips 66, Camp Adventure! was able to offer free music classes facilitated by the Symphony’s Community Embedded Musicians and an Instrument Petting Zoo, where children learned about various musical instruments.

As part of Phillips 66’s partnership with the Children’s Museum of Houston, the company has commissioned artist Jack Strutz to create interactive social media campaigns to advance literacy through the arts. The company has also sponsored field trips to Theatre Under the Stars, a nonprofit musical theatre production company, as well as family-friendly performances by the Houston Grand Opera. In addition, Phillips 66 sponsors Mercury Baroque’s Neighborhood Series, which holds affordable neighborhood concerts throughout Houston.  Through these successful arts partnership, Phillips 66 is breathing new energy into its communities and reinforcing its commitment to improving lives.