Arts pARTnerships

At 8 a.m. on a very snowy morning, fifty business leaders gathered at the Ritz Carlton Hotel to hear Robert Lynch, President and CEO of Americans for the Arts talk about the value of partnering with the arts. The morning was dedicated to helping ArtsWestchester (ArtsW) develop 50 new business partnerships for it’s 50th anniversary year in 2015.

Many of the attendees represented corporations already partnering with the arts and acknowledged Lynch’s message about human capital as the most important business challenge and asset.   “If we want the best employees, we need to provide them with opportunities to become artistically and culturally involved in and out of the office,” he said. Heads nodded as Lynch talked about innovation and creativity as the means to acquiring the confidence, skills, and mindset to transform seemingly impossible ideas into reality. Finally he reminded us that the arts are connectors, encouraging people to engage in the communities in which they live and the businesses where they work.

Americans for the Arts is a national organization representing local, municipal, state and private arts organization across the country as they work to  advance the arts and arts education in America.  Over the next year, ArtsWestchester will be reaching out to develop new partnerships all to be celebrated in our upcoming 50th Anniversary.

Hard to imagine Westchester without the arts.  Hard to imagine that ArtsWestchester will be 50 years old.

Photo: Robert Lynch at ArtsWestchester’s Arts & Business Partnership Breakfast, 2/18 (photo by Leslye Smith)