The First American Corporation
Named to THE BCA TEN:
Best Companies Supporting the Arts in America
Sponsored by Business Committee for the Arts, Inc. and FORBES Magazine
New York, NY, October 6, 2005 – The First American Corporation, Santa Ana, California, was named to THE BCA TEN: Best Companies Supporting the Arts in America, sponsored by the Business Committee for the Arts, Inc. (BCA) and FORBES Magazine, 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. The First American Corporation was cited for supporting the arts for their intrinsic value since the company was founded in 1889. It was specifically recognized for its financial and in-kind support to many of the arts organizations in Orange County, California, including The Bowers Museum of Cultural Art, the Orange County Performing Arts Center, the Saint Joseph Ballet, and South Coast Repertory Theatre, all in Santa Ana, California, plus its efforts in involving its employees and customers with the arts, and for sharing its 15,000 archival photography collection of the history of Orange County with its employees and the public.
"We realize that it takes both resources of time and financial contributions to keep the arts alive," said Parker S. Kennedy, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, The First American Corporation. "By preserving the spirit of creativity and resourcefulness within area performing arts centers and museums, First American understands that we are securing a stronger future for our company and the communities in which we operate."
This national annual 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 other companies on THE BCA TEN for 2005 were: 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; 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.
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.