BCA logo  BCAnoteworthy  june 2008

An e-bulletin of the national Business Committee for the Arts, Inc. (BCA) to demonstrate the value of business-arts partnerships throughout the United States.  For more information about BCA and its programs,
www.bcainc.org.
BCA EVENTS
 
THE BCA TEN - 2008
THE BCA TEN: Best Companies Supporting the Arts in America will be announced on Thursday, October 30 during a gala presentation at the American Museum of Natural History, New York, NY.  For information about THE BCA TEN or to purchase tickets or tables, www.bcainc.org/thebcaten.html
 
Forum for New Ideas
The sixth annual Forum for New Ideas will be held in New York on Thursday, November 20 from 8:00 am to 11:00 am at Morgan Stanley, 1585 Broadway, New York, NY.  The Forum, presented in collaboration with Arts & Business Council of New York, will explore innovative ways for arts and business to work together.  The national sponsor is Herman Miller Foundation, Zeeland, MI, and the New York sponsor is Morgan Stanley, New York, NY. 
For information, www.bcainc.org/programs.html.

FACTS & FIGURES
 
Where Does Corporate Citizenship Belong?
The Center for Corporate Citizenship surveyed companies to determine where the corporate citizenship function was located within businesses.  30% placed it in corporate/public affairs, 16% placed it in communications, 12% had a stand alone department and the rest placed corporate citizenship in departments including human resources, marketing and legal.
For information, www.bcccc.net.  
 
Impact of Celebrity Endorsements

According to a Harris Interactive poll, 51% of Americans think a celebrity's endorsement of a cause makes little or no difference to an issue while 45% think celebrities make a large or some positive difference.  Younger respondents were slightly more likely to think a celebrity's endorsement is helpful.  For information, www.harrisinteractive.com.
 
TAKE NOTE
 
Gap and Whitney Museum Partner on T-Shirts
Gap, San Francisco, CA, and the Whitney Museum, New York, NY, collaborated on a series of artist designed t-shirts.  The t-shirts, by artists including Jeff Koons, Kiki Smith and Chuck Close, will be available for sale at select Gap store and on the Gap Web site.  Gap is the sponsor of the 2008 Whitney Biennial.  For information, www.gap.com.
 
Preserving New Orleans Cultural Heritage 
American Express, New York, NY and The National Trust for Historic Preservation awarded grants to five historic sites in New Orleans for repairs.  Launched in 2006, the Partners in Preservation program is an initiative in which American Express, in partnership with the National Trust for Historic Preservation, pledged $5 million over a five-year period toward preserving historic sites in the US. This commitment will help protect historic and cultural landmarks and will strengthen local communities.  For information
, www.partnersinpreservation.org.

Dove Commissions Play
As part of Dove's Campaign for Real Beauty, Dove Canada (a subsidiary of Unilever Canada, Inc., Toronto, ON) commissioned playwright Judith Thompson to write a play that changes the negative stereotypes older women face.  13 non-actors between the ages of 45-78 performed the play Body and Soul at the Young Centre for the Performing Arts in Toronto.  Dove Canada's marketing manager called the project a "marketing investment from Dove" while the playwright said, "I don't care if ultimately they hope to sell soap with it, the soap's fine...this is about me believing in the value of the lives and stories of older women."  For information, www.doveplay.ca.
 
 
DON'T MISS

Museums Go Green
The Museum of Contemporary Art, Denver, CO, and the Grand Rapids Art Museum, Grand Rapids, MI, are the first two LEED certified museums.  Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Green Building Rating System is the nationally accepted benchmark for the design, construction, and operation of high-performance green buildings.  Both museums instituted environmentally sustainable design in the design and building of their new buildings earning them the gold certification.  America: Black and White Gordon Parks Photography will be on view at the Grand Rapids Art Museum from June 27 - October 12.  The photos of Trevor Appleson will be on view at the Museum of Contemporary Art, Denver through August 10. For information, www.gramonline.org and www.mcadenver.org.
 
The Real Pepsi Challenge at the Queens Museum of Art

The Queens Museum of Art, Queens, NY, is presenting The Real Pepsi Challenge: Breaking the Color Barrier in American Business.  The exhibition, on view through July 27, showcases the plight of the first African-Americans to hold professional corporate jobs in the US.  The exhibition is sponsored by PepsiCo Inc., Purchase, NY, the Queens Borough President, NYC Department of Cultural Affairs, Independence Community Bank Foundation, Brooklyn, NY, New York State Council on the Arts, Pinkerton Foundation and MetLife Foundation, New York, NY.  For information, www.queensmuseum.org.


SPEAKING FROM EXPERIENCE
 
"Masco has a highly successful record of employee attraction and retention. We believe that the artistic environment we offer in the workplace plays a key role in inspiring our employees toward excellence through enhanced creative thinking and problem-solving skills." 
-Richard A. Manoogian, Executive Chairman, Masco Corporation