THE BCA TEN: Best Companies Supporting the Arts in America
Ten Businesses Honored for Their Exceptional Support of the Arts, BCA Leadership Award and BCA Hall of Fame Inductee Announced
October 16, 2007, New York, NY – THE BCA TEN: Best Companies Supporting the Arts in America, sponsored by the Business Committee for the Arts, Inc. (BCA) and FORBES Magazine, were presented on October 16th during a black-tie gala attended by business and arts leaders from throughout the country. The announcement was made at the New-York Historical Society, New York, New York by Tony Award Nominated Broadway Star Brad Oscar.
This national list – the first of its kind created by a not-for-profit organization – was initiated by BCA in 2005 to recognize ten companies each year for their exceptional support of the arts in the United States. The companies on THE BCA TEN – 2007:
- The Boeing Company, Chicago, IL
- The Boldt Company, Appleton, WI
- Deutsche Bank, New York, NY
- Gibson Guitar Corp., Nashville, TN
- Masco Corporation, Taylor, MI
- McQuiddy Printing Company, Nashville, TN
- Qualcomm Incorporated, San Diego, CA
- Shell Exploration & Production Company, Houston, TX
- Shugoll Research, Bethesda, MD
- The Travelers Companies, Inc., St. Paul, MN
“These companies set a standard for other companies to follow. They provide the arts with significant financial and in-kind support, and they incorporate meaningful arts-related programs into their employee, customer and community relations activities,” said Judith A. Jedlicka, President, Business Committee for the Arts, Inc. “They are leaders in developing and sustaining arts education initiatives, workplace art collections, plus a myriad of exhibitions and performances, enriching the lives of millions of Americans in communities large and small, from coast-to-coast.”
BCA Leadership Award
During the October 16th presentation, the BCA Leadership Award was presented to Henry W. Bloch, Honorary Chairman and Co-Founder, H&R Block, Inc., Kansas City, Missouri. The award was established by BCA in 1993 to recognize individuals whose vision, commitment and leadership champion the arts. The 14th recipient of the annual BCA Leadership Award, Bloch has also actively engaged other businesses to support the arts in their communities.
BCA Hall of Fame
BCA established the BCA Hall of Fame in 1992 to recognize companies that demonstrate exceptional long-term support to the arts. This year’s inductee is Time Warner Inc., based in New York, New York. Time Warner Inc. is the 21st company inducted into the Hall of Fame.
About Business Committee for the Arts, Inc. (BCA)
The Business Committee for the Arts, Inc. (BCA) was founded in 1967 by David Rockefeller to bring business and the arts together. Since then, business support to the arts has grown from $22 million in 1967 to $3.31 billion in 2006. 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.
The Media Sponsor of THE BCA TEN is USA TODAY and Presenting Sponsors include Deutsche Bank, The First American Corporation, Morgan Stanley, Principal Financial Group, Thomas P. Putnam, and Target. Leadership Circle supporters are C.J. Segerstrom & Sons, Equity Dynamics Inc., Guardsmark, HCA, Humana Inc., Ingram Industries Inc., Meredith Corporation, Prudential Financial, UBS, United Technologies Corporation, and Vinson & Elkins LLP.
Nominations for THE BCA TEN – 2008 open February 1, 2008.