ADVOCACY

Connecticut can’t recover without the arts, so we partnered with the CT Arts Alliance and our sister organizations and designated regional partners for “Create The Vote“, a statewide campaign to focus attention on the importance of the arts and culture.

Create The Vote Candidates Forum

The Cultural Alliance of Western Connecticut hosted a candidates forum on October 22, 2020 in an effort to connect voters and candidates. We invited candidates who completed the Create The Vote survey to discuss their plans to strengthen the arts and culture sector in the region and State.

QUALITY OF LIFE AND ECONOMY

The data shows when you partner with local arts and culture, you impact the entire community. Especially now, the arts remain indispensable to local communities, states, and the nation. We have been privileged to experience the arts infuse our communities with economic growth, jobs, and renewal in the form of new businesses, tourism dollars, and an environment that attracts skilled and educated workers.

AMERICANS FOR THE ARTS

“Understanding and acknowledging the incredible impact of the nonprofit arts and culture

we must always remember their fundamental value. They foster beauty, creativity, originality, and vitality. The arts inspire us, soothe us, provoke us, involve us, and connect us. But they also create jobs and contribute to the economy.”

– Robert L. Lynch, President & CEO

Economic Prosperity

By every measure, the arts provides economic prosperity for America, according to Americans for the Arts’ fifth economic impact study of the nation’s nonprofit arts and cultural organizations and their audiences. The study is the most comprehensive of its kind, detailing arts in 50 states and the District of Columbia.

According to the study, the nonprofit arts generated $166.3 billion of economic activity in 2015.

BILLION In event-related expenditures by their audiences

BILLION In spending by Arts & Cultural Organizations

BILLION generated in revenue to local, state, and federal governments

MILLION jobs were supported

Why Partner with Arts Organizations?

The arts helps companies recruit and maintain employees through partnering with organizations with common needs and goals.

A vibrant arts community contributes to a strong business environment by enhancing the quality of life, providing creative outlets, and promoting cultural diversity.

— George W. Buckley, Chairman, President and CEO, 3M.

Socrates Sculpture Park

In Long Island City, the Socrates Sculpture Park, created in the 1980’s, has recently experienced a renaissance, expanding its offerings to provide free community arts events, from out-sized sculpture and other arts exhibits, to performing arts. It also promotes healthy living with a green market and fitness classes. The Sculpture Garden partners with Plant Specialists, a local landscape business. The relationship grew from Plant Specialists contributing pro-bono landscaping, to now running a Community Works Initiative, that has helped reduce the areas unemployment rate. Plant Specialists credits the program to providing 33 new hires. but it has also brought a unique a free arts experience to the community.

Guido's Fresh Market Place

A family roadside produce stand in The Berkshires has grown into Guido’s Fresh Marketplace, a place for shoppers to buy fresh produce, meats, flowers, and food, with two stores and partners, Bella Flora, Mazzeo’s Meat and Seafood, The Chef’s Shop, and The Marketplace Specialty Foods. Because of Guido’s family history, the company maintains a love of community and place. The place, Western Massachusetts is renown for the arts. Yet, national arts funding was in jeopardy. So, in 2017, the company decided to support the arts with a new program; #ArtFeedsUs campaign, which partnered with ten arts organizations in the area. With Guido’s vision, over 200 customers and members of arts organizations celebrated the arts at their Pittsfield location. Each arts organization provided access to an array of arts events through raffles. Since the success of #ArtFeedsUs campaign, they have held a Staff Art Show, which will become an annual event and a unique way to celebrate employees. The program was deemed a success and is now an annual event with more partners and art offerings to the community.

Contact us for information on how to partner with us!