Maryland Citizens for the Arts

Some of you are probably wondering why a businessperson would speak to an art crowd. It's a fair question. The answer is two-fold. I am personally interested in the arts; but more than that, I am interested in the future well-being of this state. I believe that if Maryland is to reach its potential in the larger national and world arenas, we must have a strong cultural and arts community.

The world we live in is increasingly complicated; and Americans are an increasingly diverse people. As a nation, we must learn to respect our differences while growing together as a people. In the wider view, our future prosperity and security as a country are intertwined with the rest of the world. If America is to continue to prosper, we must develop international opportunities and relationships. We must understand the language and culture of those partners. The problem is fairly easy to describe; but it is difficult to solve.

The arts can help us with the solution. The arts offer insight into the emotional and spiritual culture of people. While preserving unique traditions and evolving into new ones, they also show the commonality among us. They draw similarities where there seem to be none. The arts can help people understand and accept-and even value-each other's differences. Our artists and their work have been some of our most important ambassadors for American culture. We must see our artists and arts organizations as the valuable resource that they are; and support them so that they can continue to grow.

We must also find ways to guarantee that arts education of our children. They deserve to know their cultural heritage. Beyond the new and exciting scientific findings on the impact of the arts on brain development and social maturation, our children deserve to experience theatrical performance, music an dance performances and the visual arts. They deserve to learn the process and the discipline of studying an art form. We must ensure that every child in the state studies the arts in a meaningful way.

That is why I have agreed to be the first member of the Corporate Executive for the Arts in Maryland. Our goal is to expand the network of people involved in the arts. We will speak with corporate, government, community and education leaders to help them understand that they have a stake in the arts, because they have a stake in their communities.

The excellence of the arts in Maryland is established. It is beyond question. There are music and performance festivals, community art centers, museums, galleries, theaters, orchestras, and literary festivals in every region of the state. The State of Maryland has been a strong partner in helping our arts institutions build and renovate our theater, museums and art centers. We must extend those partnerships into education, into the business community, and into the broader community. The arts must be positioned financially, politically and organizationally to continue this work into this new century. The task of the Corporate Executives for the Arts will be to speak for this goal.

Investing in Quality of Life

Nation's Bank [now Bank of America] is a company with a distinguished record of supporting arts and culture. Hugh McColl, NationsBank's CEO has a near legendary presence in Charlotte, NC, where he led the rise of that city to one of the leading cities in the South. A central element in the overall plan for Charlotte was the arts. NationsBank supported Mr. McColl's belief that the arts were basic to Charlotte's sense of what it was and what it could become. But Hugh McColl's personal interest in the arts did not rive NationsBank's giving program.

First and foremost, NationsBank invests in a community because it improves the quality of life and makes a place more attractive for business. Our objective is to create jobs, attract additional business and high quality employees to an area, and expand the tax base for a region. Most publicly held companies invest in their communities for these same reasons. NationsBank knows that the arts are a catalyst in developing quality of life. While good quality of life means-among other things-good education and health care systems and a safe environment, it also includes the intangible qualities of being an interesting place to live, with a lively cultural mix.

So why is this important to business? There are many reasons. One of the big ones is people. Companies cannot be successful without an intellectually creative, educated work force; and they cannot attract these types of employees very easily unless they are located in places with a good quality of life.

The arts in Maryland are at a point of great opportunity. I am speaking of cultural tourism. The past two decades have seen the transformation of the City of Baltimore with the rebuilding of the Inner Harbor area and the ambitious plans for the north-south corridor in the city, including extensive renovation and building of the city's cultural facilities. You can feel the excitement as you walk down the street.

Across the State, other great projects are taking root. In western Maryland, a part of the state that rivals New England for natural beauty and outdoor recreation, redevelopment like the Rocky Gap Conference Center in Allegany County is finding its compliment in seasonal arts productions like the Garrett Lakes Arts Festival and established venues like the Maryland Symphony Orchestra in Hagerstown. Large parts of Southern Maryland and the Eastern Shore are steeped in history with picturesque small towns and historic architecture. Adding greatly to this rich cultural environment- The Easton Academy of Fine Arts, the Ward Museum, and Avalon Theater. The burgeoning suburbs of Prince George's and Montgomery Counties also are developing sophisticated cultural centers, following Strathmore Hall, the Gaithersburg Art Center and many others.

Small and large, all of these institutions further leverage capital investments, making these places destinations for families and visitors alike. The challenge is to raise the profile of these arts activities. I believe the arts can use these physical and natural amenities as a platform to connect them to the larger community- to combine the existing attractions of an area with the arts to attract visitors and business investment.

In summary, expanding the role for the arts in the larger community requires an expanded partnership- greater understanding and insight into the value and role of the arts within the larger community. The business community must partner with government and other private partners to help the arts reach their potential. It cannot be the only spokesperson, but we can bring this basic message to the larger community. It is a natural evolution. The arts moved into the wider arena. We have followed.