Today, the City of Thunder Bay announced that Business for the Arts, Canada’s only national charitable organization that strengthens arts and culture in Canada by building partnerships between the private and cultural sectors, announced today that its artsVest™ program is returning to Thunder Bay on Friday, February 17, 2017. With funding support from the Ontario Trillium Foundation and the Government of Canada. The City of Thunder Bay applied to host the program, with support of the Chamber of Commerce and The Waterfront District BIA, that will see $30,000 delivered to arts organizations in the city.
artsVest is Business for the Arts’ national flagship program that works directly with small to mid-sized arts organizations, equipping them with in-depth training, tools and mentorship relationships. These components are thoughtfully created to build sustainable partnerships between arts and businesses and to spark sponsorship opportunities. As an added incentive, artsVest participants can apply for matching grants – for every one dollar raised in sponsorship, Business for the Arts will match it with up to another dollar – potentially doubling their sponsorship opportunity.
“Business for the Arts is thrilled to be bringing the artsVest program back to Thunder Bay,” said Aida Aydinyan, vice president of Business for the Arts. “The generous funding and support from the Government of Ontario, the Ontario Trillium Foundation, the Government of Canada and the City of Thunder Bay speaks volumes to the importance and power of building relationships between the sectors. We look forward to seeing the incredible impact these arts organizations and businesses will have in the province over the next year.”
“We are extremely excited and thankful to be hosting this program this year, and continue to establish relationships between local business and culture organizations,” said Ash Young, Cultural Development & Events supervisor for the City of Thunder Bay. “$30,000 in matching funding will have a significant impact on the sustainability of our cultural sector. The program also supports the development of our local organizations and meets our culture team’s objective.”
“A vibrant arts economy drives value for the community by providing job creation, economic growth, and tourism development opportunities,” said Charla Robinson, president of the Thunder Bay Chamber of Commerce. “A strong business community needs a strong cultural scene to truly thrive.”
For details on the program, how to apply and launch reception information, visit artsvestthunderbay.eventbrite.ca.
artsVest saw a successful cycle in Thunder Bay in 2006 – 2007 where 10 arts organizations created 51 business partnerships. Matching funds generated over $85,000 in private sector sponsorships and resulted in an investment impact of over $136,000 to Thunder Bay’s cultural economy. artsVest also operates in four other Ontario communities in addition to Saskatchewan, Alberta, Toronto, Nova Scotia and British Columbia. Since the expansion of the program in 2011, a total of 2,874 partnerships have been created between arts and businesses across Canada.
About Business for the Arts
Founded in 1974, Business for the Arts is Canada’s only national charitable organization of business members who support the arts. Our vision is to inspire Canada’s business community to partner with the arts to ensure a thriving cultural sector. We connect, educate and invest to bridge the gap between business and the arts. For more information, visit businessforthearts.org and artsvest.com.
