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An administrator from the most prominent entity in America promoting arts offered thoughtful remarks on what she thinks makes a good man. And, the nexus of that with arts in the private sector, the idea she must bring into the hearts and minds of businessmen throughout America.
For Stern, a good man is “someone who is not afraid of an independent woman and who is not intimidated by the ambition and creativity of women. And of other men,” she said May 17 following the Utah Cultural Alliance’s 2018 Annual Meeting, where she was the keynote speaker.
Stern, the private sector initiatives program manager for Americans for the Arts, later said “if I think about my earlier definition of what I think a good man is, that idea is not resistant to arts and culture institutions claiming their voice.”
On the intersection of the ideas of being a good man and arts in the private sector, Stern had said “I want to see cultural institutions claim their voice and I hope that the pARTnership Movement helps them do that.”
The pARTnership Movement is that arts-in-the-private-sector initiative. It “provides businesses and arts organizations with tools to make meaningful collaborations – partnerships that not only support a healthy, creative, and artistic community, but also give businesses a competitive advantage,” according to the AFTA website.
Stern was asked a separate question of what ideas come to mind when she hears “good man” and considers the pARTnership Movement. This is what she had to say:
There needs to be space for creativity and innovation and moving beyond the mentality of scarcity. And moving beyond thinking about what we think arts and business looks like to ‘what could it look like?’ or ‘what do we want it to look like?’ … (instead) an approach of inspiration and ambition and innovation. It’s arts and culture; it’s supposed to be creative. So how can businesses, how can good men, create space for that?
Don’t like ads? Become a supporter and enjoy The Good Men Project ad freeOr, step back. Sometimes, it’s not about holding space; it’s just about moving out of the way and letting those things come through. … that’s why I had said ‘be bold’ … we’re the player in the room. … we are the cultural institution; we have the creativity; all the things your business wants … it’s coming from the place that arts institutions have something really special and that businesses want that and that’s the competitive edge. Ultimately, it is about bottom line for companies, so how can arts and culture institutions leverage what they have?
It is for the benefit of the cultural institution in the long run, but each side has to speak the language of the other side. So if the arts and culture institutions can learn to play in that arena … that collaboration is really powerful. And ultimately, the entire community will benefit economically and socially; it creates a more vibrant community to have your employees be inspired.
Stern was also asked how participating in the pARTnership Movement make a good man better. She remarked:
I think that the strength of the pARTnership Movement is that it encourages people to think about arts and business partnerships differently and we talked a little bit about that (in Stern’s keynote), that think beyond cash. So I guess if I think of a good man as a person who is unafraid of inspired and ambitious people and women, to also be unafraid of inspired and ambitious cultural institutions. And to be receptive to those inspired and ambitious cultural institutions.
pARTnership Movement
Stern explored other avenues of the pARTnership Movement with attendees of the annual meeting, leaders of artistic organizations in Utah.
“Through the campaign, we seek to connect businesses and arts groups,” Stern said. “We provide the tools and resources for you.”
Stern, who has degrees in ethnomusicology and arts studies, showed images of a specialist in an art for a respective field. There was a “Coltrane of chemistry,” “Picasso of accounting” and “Shakespeare of litigation.”
“There are as many ways to partner with business as there are creative ideas,” she then said. “These two industries can make each other stronger.”
After plugging AFTA, Stern offered reasons for the pARTnership Movement.
The arts will help to “recruit talent,” Stern said.
“Employees want to live and work in a vibrant community,” she added. “Culture attracts people; the arts are cool.”
“The arts challenge employees to be your best,” Stern said.
“Creativity is among the top-sought skills sought by employers,” Stern noted.
“Businesses want to be cool, so how can you align to help them be cooler?” she asked.
“The arts can put your company in the spotlight,” Stern said.
“The arts can help advance corporate objectives and strategies,” Stern remarked. “The arts help you get your message across in engaging ways.”
“The arts help embrace diversity and team building,” Stern said. “The arts create an environment that blends backgrounds, ethnicities and cultures.”
The arts “contribute to the economy and quality of life,” Stern remarked.
“When you partner with the local arts, you partner with the whole city,” she stated.
Myths concerning the movement are that a business owner does not have a relationship with a given “mega corporation.”
However, 83 percent of arts support, in cash and kind, comes from businesses with less than $50 million in revenue – and nearly 50 percent of business contributions come from companies with holdings of less than $1 million, Stern said.
Another myth is that “it’s not even worth asking” as “businesses don’t even seem interested,” Stern explained.
“Only 33 percent (of American businesses) have been asked,” Stern said. “And most small companies … they won’t even know what to do when they get asked.”
Stern also advised the leaders to consider technology professionals.
“The tech community is not going to come out from their computer screens,” Stern said before remarking that “the Philadelphia Art Museum has been holding rounds of hackathons.”
Providing an example, Stern said “it might be, like, ‘build an app for an art museum.’”
“There’s, I think, a ton of opportunity in the tech industry … and less through marketing” Stern added. “A lot of these companies don’t have sponsorship people; they just aren’t there yet.”
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Photo courtesy Americans for the Arts