University of Massachusetts Amherst

Contents:

Around the Center
Kudos
to Fine Arts Center Board Member Dr. Patricia Romney

Spotlight on Sponsors

Performing Arts
Song Hee Lee
Korean Dancer Finds the “Third Way”

Decay of the Angel
Dancer Fleming Pushes the Limitations of the Human Skeleton

Joe Fonda
The Magic Triangle Jazz Series Unleashes its 15th Season

The Show Goes On
West Side Stories Looks at Amherst

The Silken Phoenix
The Core Ensemble featuring Fiona Choi

Don’t Miss these Big and Sassy Ballet Boys
The Trocks Hit Amherst

Visual Arts
Balls and Arrows
Carla Carpenter’s Sculptural Work

UMass Landscape Architecture
Department Celebrates Centennial with Exhibit at University Museum of Contemporary Art

General
Educating Through the Arts

New Web Site Unveiled
for the Education/Access Department

Business and the Arts Make Great Partners
Survey Reveals Workplace Art Collections Are Valuable for Business

February/ March 2004 > Business and the Arts Make Great Partners
Business and the Arts Make Great Partners
Survey Reveals Workplace Art Collections Are Valuable for Business

 

Two important surveys that were recently published on Business Committee for the Arts web site indicate stability in business sponsorship of the arts and the importance of art in the workplace. For more information and insightful articles about arts and business, visit the BCA web site at www.bcainc.org.

A majority (67%) of 100 companies recognized for their support to the arts indicated that they expect their support to the arts in 2004 to remain at the level it was in 2003, according to a recent survey conducted by the Business Committee for the Arts, Inc. (BCA). BCA, a national not-for-profit organization founded in 1967 by David Rockefeller to bring business and the arts together, conducted the survey by telephone and e-mail during September 20o3. In the same survey, 13% of the companies indicated they expect to increase their support; 11% anticipate a decrease; and 9% reported they do not know. "Each year since 2001, when BCA began conducting this survey, it has provided a reliable indication of how businesses planned to invest in the arts in the year ahead," said BCA President Judith A. Jedlicka. "This year as in the past, businesses of all sizes are investing in the arts because they recognize the intrinsic value of the arts, as well as the fact that the arts are key to the economic vitality and quality of life of a community. Moving forward, BCA is committed to helping both business and the arts explore innovative ways of developing partnerships that enhance business, the arts and the community." December 8, 2003, New York, NY - The notion that art in the workplace is not essential or "merely decorative" has been dispelled by a recent survey of more than 800 employees working for 32 companies throughout the United States that have workplace art collections. The survey, a collaboration of the Business Committee for the Arts, Inc. (BCA) - www.bcainc.org - and the International Association for Professional Art Advisors (IAPAA) - www.iapaa.org, was distributed in late summer and early fall of this year to randomly selected companies ranging from food distributors to law firms that have workplace collections. Employees were asked to respond to each question by indicating their response on a graduated scale that ranged from strongly agree to strongly disagree.

The responses revealed that art in the workplace helps businesses address some key challenges, such as:

· Reducing stress (78% agree, 8% disagree and 14% neither agree nor disagree). · Increasing creativity and productivity (64% agree, 11% disagree, and 25% neither agree nor disagree). · Enhancing morale (67% agree, 13% disagree, and 20% neither agree nor disagree). · Broadening employee appreciation of diversity and encouraging discussions, and expression of opinions (77% agree, 11% disagree, and 12% neither agree nor disagree).

"The workplace art collection is often an underutilized, sometimes overlooked, business asset," said Judith A. Jedlicka, President, BCA. "The results of this survey point to the fact that art in the work environment fosters creativity, boosts employee morale and sparks dialogues - all of which are essential to a company's success."

This survey also revealed that art in the workplace:

· Enhances the work environment (94% agree, 3% disagree, and 3% neither agree or disagree). · Evidences the company's interest in improving the quality of life in and out of the workplace (84% agree, 6% disagree, and 10% neither agree or disagree). · Helps to build customer (65% yes and 34% no) and community relations (73% yes and 27% no). · Leads to networking opportunities (52% yes and 47% no).

"IAPAA members have always found that employees have strong responses to the works of art in their environments. Art reflects the corporate culture in a way that can be both unique and stimulating," said Sandra Lang, President, IAPAA.

While the vast majority (81%) of the respondents indicated that they did not consider art among the deciding factors in working for the company, they overwhelmingly (82%) indicated that art is important in the work environment, and they (73%) reported that their view of the company would change if the art were removed.

Note: The participating companies and employees are kept confidential. Fractional percentages were rounded to the nearest tenth therefore sums may not add to 100%.


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