Monday, January 14, 2013

Americans for the Arts, the nation’s leading organization for advancing the arts and arts education, announced today that it is deepening its services for the advancement of private sector support for the arts and arts education by more fully integrating the programs and administration of two of its divisions: the Arts & Business Council of New York, a division of Americans for the Arts since 2005, and the Americans for the Arts Private Sector Initiatives division. Together, these resources and programming initiatives will form a more powerful, streamlined private sector advancement effort both in New York and throughout the United States.
 
“This move is a good step forward toward more easily and effectively working with the range of arts and business partnerships we have developed,” said Robert L. Lynch, president and CEO of Americans for the Arts. “My hope is that it will stimulate increased support for the arts from individuals, corporations and foundations through the combined power of our two divisions' innovative programming and the recruitment of national and New York-based partnerships.”
 
Programming that has been developed by both entities, including The pARTnership Movement, the Multicultural Arts Management Internship Program, the Emerging Leaders of New York Arts network and Business Volunteers for the Arts will continue. Current Arts & Business Council of New York Executive Director Will Maitland Weiss has accepted another opportunity in the New York arts community. The other Arts & Business Council of New York staff members as well as the staff that manages Americans for the Arts’ private sector efforts, which operates out of New York City, will continue their work together. In addition, the current members of the Board of Directors of the Arts & Business Council of New York will continue to play an advisory role to Americans for the Arts in implementing the strongest programs to help grow arts and business partnerships in the New York area.

Private sector support for the arts from individuals, foundations and corporations represents a critical piece of the arts funding puzzle in America. However, the larger private sector relationship with the arts has changed dramatically in recent years. Since the economic downturn and subsequent recession, fewer U.S. companies are making philanthropic contributions to the arts.
 
“The arts in America need enhanced and consolidated advocacy in the business community,” said Lynch. “By demonstrating how the arts can help businesses achieve business and community goals through enhancing the critical thinking, team building and creative skills of the corporate workforce while also enhancing communities to attract and retain employees, arts organizations have a tremendous opportunity to build successful, lasting partnerships with the business community and boost their standing as a charitable cause.”

Americans for the Arts is the leading nonprofit organization for advancing the arts and arts education in America. With offices in Washington, D.C. and New York City, it has a record of more than 50 years of service. Americans for the Arts is dedicated to representing and serving local communities and creating opportunities for every American to participate in and appreciate all forms of the arts. Additional information is available at www.AmericansForTheArts.org.

Contact:
Catherine Brandt Vacovsky
202-712-2054
[email protected]
@AFTAPress