THE BCA TEN: Best Companies Supporting the Arts in America
Premiered October 5 at Rubin Museum of Art, New York
Sponsored by Business Committee for the Arts, Inc. and FORBES Magazine
New York, NY, October 6, 2005 – THE BCA TEN: Best
Companies Supporting the Arts in America, sponsored by the Business
Committee for the Arts, Inc. (BCA) and FORBES Magazine, premiered on
October 5 during a black-tie gala attended by business and arts leaders
from throughout the country at the Rubin Museum of Art, New York, New
York.
This national list – the first ever created by a not-for-profit organization – was initiated by BCA to recognize ten companies for their exceptional support of the arts in the United States. The companies on THE BCA TEN for 2005 include one small company and nine large. They are: American Airlines, Dallas/Fort Worth, Texas; American Century Investments, Kansas City, Missouri; Deere & Company, Moline, Illinois; Meredith Corporation, Des Moines, Iowa; Norfolk Southern Corporation, Norfolk, Virginia; Shugoll Research, Bethesda, Maryland; The First American Corporation, Santa Ana, California; United Technologies Corporation, Hartford, Connecticut; Vinson & Elkins L.L.P., Houston, Texas; and Wells Fargo & Company, San Francisco, California.
"These ten companies are in the forefront of providing the arts with cash and non-cash support, as well as incorporating the arts in their employee, customer and community relations," said Judith A. Jedlicka, President, Business Committee for the Arts, Inc. "And, they are leaders in developing and sustaining arts education initiatives, workplace art collections, plus exhibition and performance spaces, all of which enriches the lives of millions of Americans in communities large and small from coast-to-coast."
The announcement of THE BCA TEN was made by Leonard Slatkin, Music Director, National Symphony Orchestra, Washington, D.C., and Trisha Brown, Artistic Director, Trisha Brown Dance Company, New York, New York - two leading American artists who acknowledged that "business support to the arts is critical to the growth of the arts in America" and who thanked the companies on the list "for supporting our work and the work of our fellow artists."
The Presenting Sponsors of THE BCA TEN were: Principal Financial Group, The First American Corporation, Target and MultiPlan, Inc.
During the October 5 presentation, the BCA Leadership Award was given to David R. Goode, Chairman of the Board and Chief Executive Officer, Norfolk Southern Corporation, Norfolk, Virginia, for his vision, commitment and leadership in supporting the arts and for his efforts to engage other companies with the arts. UBS, New York, New York, was also inducted into the BCA Hall of Fame in recognition of its "exceptional long-term support to the arts." UBS is the 19th company inducted into the Hall of Fame.
Since the Business Committee for the Arts, Inc. (BCA) was founded in 1967 by David Rockefeller to bring business and the arts together, business support to the arts has grown from $22 million in 1967 to $3.32 billion in 2003. BCA's mission is to ensure that the arts flourish in America by encouraging, inspiring and stimulating business to support the arts in the workplace, in education and in the community. For information about BCA, visit www.bcainc.org.