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So, too, were the talents 73 workers and family members showcased in a visual and performing arts show last weekend that DST Systems Inc. staged in the Folly Theater and in a big tent on Central Avenue downtown.

Both companies, members of Kansas City's Business Committee for the Arts, support the arts community financially through corporate donations to arts groups and corporate art acquisitions. But they also see non-monetary benefits in encouraging artistic expression and appreciation among their workers.

"Itís one way to promote a positive work environment," said Gigi Lane, manager of training and development at Butler Manufacturing Co., which hopes to mimic American Century's and DST's employee art shows after some corporate financial pressures ease. "We all know fellow workers who do oils, photography, pottery, caricaturesÖwhy not display them?"

Caleb Fey, curator of American Century's corporate art collection, spends most of his time managing the purchase and display of artwork to decorate American Century offices around the country.

This week, he's overseeing the installation of home-grown art in the mezzanine area of the employee lunchroom, a space open to the public.

"Down the road, we're looking at the possibility of adding employee art to the corporate collection," Fey said.

Some American Century workers will get greater display of their works in a company-sponsored tent at the Plaza Art Fair this weekend. The chosen pieces - between 12 and 18, Fey estimates - will be selected by a combination of an employee vote and judging by an invited professional artist.

"This isn't a sale. It's purely for display," said Scott Oberkrom, a corporate community investment consultant who is working on the employee committee for American Century's first-ever employee show. "We think it's going to attract a lot of attention."

For DST, the idea of showcasing employee art is getting to be old hat. This is the third year the company staged appreciation events for employees' visual and performing talents, said Robert Palmer, coordinator of the arts festival.

Palmer's day job is principal technical writer and editor, but he spent considerable time in the last few weeks staging the DST show.

The year, DST was joined by State Street Corp., a mutual and pension funds manager, and BNIM Architects. The two-day event included an employee reception, stage shows at the Folly, and the artwork display open to the public under the Central Avenue tent.

"Altogether, we had 215 employees participating as artists, performers or volunteers to help the shows go on," Palmer said.

"Long range - and we're talking to the corporate arts council about this - we'd like to create sort of a corporate challenge for the arts. Not every company is positioned to field sports teams like in the existing corporate challenge program. We're hoping to get more companies involved in staging employee art shows, maybe building up to juried shows or sales."

Motivational speaker and author Bob Nelson, author of the series of books that began with 1001 Ways to Reward Employees, believes that such corporate support of the employee's "whole person" is important.

In a work world where sales, productivity and profitability numbers often seem to be the only things that matter, Nelson says any effort to extend appreciation to employees can go a long way toward stimulating morale.

Unfortunately for workers at Butler, the art show that was supposed to be held later this month was put on hold.

After losing $13 million in the first half of the year, the company suspended its quarterly dividend, is trying to get a handle on increased health insurance costs and is hoping for a rebound in nonresidential construction orders.

"We hope to do the show in the spring," said Lane, Butler's training and development manager. After all, she'd said earlier, "The spirit committee is ready."

To reach Diane Stafford, call (816) 234-4359 or send e-mail to Stafford@kcstar.com.

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