We’re Combing the Galaxy for Out-of-This-World Business and Arts Partnerships. Nominate Your Favorite Today!

The Arts & Business Council of Greater Philadelphia understands that businesses play an integral role in helping create a vibrant and vital arts and cultural community. Companies of all industries and sizes provide funding, volunteers and patrons necessary for the arts to thrive. After all, it is in the business community’s best interest to support one of the region’s top economic drivers. As we have seen over the years, when the arts and business communities come together, creative and unique partnerships are born.

Each spring, the Council takes a moment – over lunch – to celebrate these partnerships at its annual Awards Luncheon. Hailed as Philadelphia’s ‘Academy Awards’ and one of the most colorful and exciting celebrations in the region, Awards 2010 will be held on Tuesday, April 27 at the Pennsylvania Convention Center. Presented by PNC, this year’s theme is PLANET ART and will highlight the business and arts partnerships that are the biggest and brightest in our galaxy.

Here is your chance to nominate your company’s partnership with an arts or cultural organization. If chosen, your partnership will be recognized with great fanfare at Awards 2010 in front of more than 1,500 business, civic and cultural leaders. The Award is presented in two categories:

• Small business (annual revenues less than $10 million) with an arts or cultural organization.
• Mid-sized to large business (annual revenues exceeding $10 million) with an arts or cultural organization.

Our jury of business, foundation and arts professionals is looking for dynamic partnerships such as the one between DesignPhiladelphia and Minima, winners in last year’s small business category.

Minima, a showroom of avant-garde furniture and art, curated the walk-through exhibit, "A Clean Break," for DesignPhiladelphia, an annual event of The Design Center at Philadelphia University. They sought to show the viability of high-design pre-fab and modular units that are both affordable and green. "A Clean Break" was the biggest, most comprehensive exhibition of more than 90 events at DesignPhiladelphia 2008. Thinking on such a large scale was possible due to collaboration. The team successfully applied for and received $85,000 in grants plus gathered cash, in-kind sponsorships and partnerships. The result energized and extended the scope of DesignPhiladelphia’s programming and fostered its recognition on a national and international level.

A mutually beneficial and innovative partnership between PNC and the Pennsylvania Ballet won last year’s award in the large business category. What began as support for a newly invigorated "The Nutcracker" blossomed into much more. Building on a 25-year relationship, PNC Bank helped the Pennsylvania Ballet polish a holiday jewel collaborating on Happy Feet!, an initiative bringing dance education to underserved preschool children in North Philadelphia. The imaginative program expands both the Ballet’s outreach to school children through Accent on Dance and PNC’s signature corporate investment in early childhood education through Grow Up Great, a 10-year, $100-million initiative.

Take advantage of this opportunity to put your company in the spotlight. Be sure to submit your nomination by 5:00 p.m. on Tuesday, November 24. For more information and to submit an online nomination, please follow this link: www.artsandbusinessphila.org/awards/partnershipaward.asp, or call 215.790.3838 for more details.