AT&T
New York, New York
 
Bestowed 1992
 
AT&T has been supporting the arts for more than half a century with the belief that the arts are an indispensable form of expression and communication. The company designates approximately 15% of its annual philanthropic budget to the arts. This totaled nearly $5 million in 1991. AT&T's philanthropic support is enhanced by extensive advertising and marketing programs developed in conjunction with its sponsorships.
 
AT&T has benefited the arts, business and the community by:

Undertaking many landmark partnerships that have brought the arts to millions of individuals. “The Telephone Hour,” which began airing on radio stations throughout the country in 1940, introduced Americans to a number of great artists during its 28 years of broadcast. “Young People's Concerts,” hosted by Leonard Bernstein and televised nationwide from 1964-1968, provided millions of children with the opportunity to learn about classical music. And, AT&T: American Orchestras on Tour funded performances by 30 major orchestras in 284 American cities. AT&T has sponsored additional radio and television programs, including “Carnegie Hall Tonight,” “With Horowitz in Moscow” and “The MacNeil/Lehrer Newshour.”

Providing performing arts organizations with considerable support to create, produce and present new works. AT&T OnStage, one of the first major theatrical initiatives undertaken by a business, provides support to professional not-for-profit theaters to develop and present new plays and musicals. The AT&T New Plays for the Nineties Project encourages the production of new American plays and musical theater works by women and minority playwrights and composers. AT&T Dance Tour has enabled dance companies to tour to more than 200 American cities. And, the AT&T American Encore Program encourages the rehearsal and performance of works by 20th century American composers that have been premiered, but not frequently performed.

Sponsoring hundreds of major exhibitions and visual arts programs throughout the country, including “An American Vision: Three Generations of Wyeth Art,” “High and Low: Modern Art and Popular Culture,” “David Hockney: A Retrospective,” “Robert Longo,” “Robert Wilson's Visions,” and AT&T Portfolio Tours of The Met, a series of self-guided audio tours of some of the permanent collections of The Metropolitan Museum of Art. In 1991, the AT&T New Art/New Visions Program was established to support contemporary art by providing grants for the exhibition and acquisition of recently created work by living American artists.

Striving to make the arts a significant part of its corporate culture. The AT&T Corporate Art Collection contains more than 8,000 works of contemporary art. Nearly 200 AT&T executives are members of the boards of directors of cultural institutions throughout the country, and AT&T employees volunteer extensively with cultural organizations in their local communities. Employees in each of AT&T's operating areas recommend arts organizations in their local area for support. And, AT&T has a one-to-one employee matching gifts program for cultural institutions.

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