The BCA 10: Best Companies Supporting the Arts in America recognizes businesses of all sizes for their exceptional involvement with the arts that enrich the workplace, education, and the community. These companies set the standard of excellence and serve as role models for others to follow.

The BCA 10 2011 was presented on Wednesday, October 5 at the Central Park Boathouse in NYC. We thank all of our sponsors including Sustaining Sponsors Aetna and Kohler Co.

The 2011 winning companies of the BCA 10: Best Companies Supporting the Arts in America are:

3M, St. Paul, MN
Aetna, Hartford, CT
Baker Botts L.L.P., Houston, TX
Booz Allen Hamilton, McLean, VA
Corporate Office Properties Trust, Columbia, MD
Macy’s Inc., Cincinnati, OH
Printing Partners, Indianapolis, IN
Publicity Works, Bowmansville, PA
Walt Disney World Resort, Orlando, FL
Wilde Lexus of Sarasota, Sarasota, FL
Leadership Award
Christopher Forbes, Vice Chairman of Forbes, Inc.

Hall of Fame
Kohler Co., Kohler, WI

Nominate a Company

Who can nominate a company?
Anyone can do it—an individual, an arts organization, or company employee.
Which companies are eligible?
Companies large and small that support the arts in the United States are eligible. Tax-exempt nonprofit organizations are ineligible.
What information is needed to nominate a company?
You are asked to submit a 600-word nomination statement. This statement should address how the company supports the arts including: leadership, long-term commitment, impact, addressing community needs, employee and customer involvement, and encouraging other companies to support the arts. Submit a nomination today!
Questions, please call 212.223.2787.

Apartments are single room occupancy. Artist lofts vary in layout and are between 575 and 625 square feet in size. All artist lofts have a fully equipped kitchen with refrigerator, electric oven, and microwave, plus a full bathroom. Each artist loft is equipped with two regular size closets and one smaller storage closet. Artist housing also includes use of a shared 4000-square-foot art studio. Our artist housing is for people who regularly engage in the arts as a career and have a body of work that demonstrates the development of that art and the intention to pursue that work for the foreseeable future. Income eligibility requirements apply.
The Cornerstone Residence offers an outstanding range of amenities and services to our tenants, including but not limited to: 24-hour security personnel, maintenance and housekeeping staff; a computer lab with periodic computer classes; a fitness center; a library; the Ann Street Gallery; case management, job search and placement assistance provided by Independent Living; a wellness center; a GED program; discounted tickets to Safe Harbors of the Hudson and Ritz Theater events and admittance to various Cornerstone and Independent Living outings.
Since opening its doors in 2006, The Cornerstone's innovative mix of supportive housing, artist lofts, and on-site social services earned it the prestigious "Residence of the Year" Award from the Supportive Housing Network of New York in 2007.
For more information please call Liz LoPresti, Certification & Lease Coordinator at (845) 562-6940 ext 116 or email llopresti@safe-harbors.org. Application for Housing is available on our website www.safe-harbors.org.
You are also welcome to pick up an application in-person, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, at the Cornerstone security desk, 111 Broadway, Newburgh, NY 12550.

The ARTS Council of the Southern Finger Lakes is pleased to announce a new partnership with the New York State Council on the Arts, to award Presentation Funds and Finishing Funds grants for Electronic Media and Film.
Presentation Funds offers partial support to non-profit organizations located in New York State for in-person appearances by independent artists working in moving image media and sound art, including video, digital and computer-based works. The mission of the program is to encourage opportunities for conversations between artists and audiences, support the creative programming of independent media-makers, and help increase appreciation for electronic media and film as an art form throughout New York State. Presentation Funds is supported by the New York State Council on the Arts (NYSCA).

Deadlines are four times a year:

December 1, 2011 for projects occurring between January 1 - March 31, 2012
March 1, 2012 for projects occurring between April 1 - June 30, 2012
June 1, 2012 for projects occurring between July 1 - September 30, 2012
September 1, 2012 for projects occurring between October 1 - December 31, 2012
Finishing Funds provides support to New York State artists for the completion of film, video, sound, new media and Web-based art. Awards are made annually and range from $500 to $2,500. Finishing Funds is supported by the New York State Council on the Arts (NYSCA).

The postmark deadline for applications is March 15, 2012.

USArtists International, administered by the Mid Atlantic Arts Foundation, is committed to ensuring that the impressive range of the performing arts in the United States is represented abroad, and that American artists can enhance their creative and professional development through the exchange of ideas and practices with their colleagues in other countries and through exposure to new audiences. Support is available to American dance, music, and theater ensembles and solo artists that have been invited to perform at international festivals and engagements that represent extraordinary career opportunities anywhere in the world outside of the United States. Grants, which generally range from $1,000 to $10,000, will seldom cover the applicant's total expenses. The upcoming application deadlines are December 9, 2011, and April 20, 2012. Eligibility details and application guidelines are available on the Mid Atlantic Arts Foundation website.

The Arts Endowment’s support of a project may start on September 1, 2012, or any time thereafter. A grant period of up to two years is allowed. Grant Program Description Art works to improve the lives of America’s citizens in many ways. Communities across our nation are engaging design and leveraging the arts to create livable, sustainable neighborhoods with enhanced quality of life, increased creative activity, distinct identities, a sense of place, and vibrant local economies that capitalize on existing local assets. The NEA defines these efforts as Creative Placemaking: "In creative placemaking, partners from public, private, nonprofit, and community sectors strategically shape the physical and social character of a neighborhood, town, tribe, city, or region around arts and cultural activities. Creative placemaking animates public and private spaces, rejuvenates structures and streetscapes, improves local business viability and public safety, and brings diverse people together to celebrate, inspire, and be inspired." Ann Markusen, Markusen Economic Research Services Anne Gadwa, Metris Arts Consulting From Creative Placemaking

Eligible Applicants
State governments
County governments
City or township governments
Special district governments
Independent school districts
Public and State controlled institutions of higher education
Native American tribal governments (Federally recognized)
Nonprofits having a 501(c)(3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education
Private institutions of higher education

An organization may submit only one application through one of the following FY 2013 Grants for Arts Projects categories: Art Works or Challenge America Fast-Track. The Arts Endowment's support of a project may start on or after January 1, 2013. The NEA's guiding principle is embodied in one sentence: "Art works." "Art works" is a noun; the creation of works of art by artists. "Art works" is a verb; art works on and within people to change and inspire them. "Art works" is a statement; arts jobs are real jobs that are part of the real economy. Art Works encourages and supports the following four outcomes: •Creation: The creation of art that meets the highest standards of excellence, •Engagement: Public engagement with diverse and excellent art, •Learning: Lifelong learning in the arts, and •Livability: The strengthening of communities through the arts. You will be asked to select the outcome that is most relevant to your project, and you also will be able to select a secondary outcome (note that all Arts Education applicants must choose the Learning outcome as their primary outcome). When making selections, you should identify the outcome(s) that reflect the results expected to be achieved by your project. If you receive a grant, you also will be asked to provide evidence of those results.

WOODSTOCK A-I-R is a workspace residency program designed to support artists of color working in the photographic arts who reside in the United States with access to time, facilities, financial, critical, and technical support. This activity is created with an emphasis on supporting artists working in the photographic arts who are at the brink of their careers and promising talent. All of us lead very busy lives – the drive for this program is to free the artist - from the busy routines and demands of everyday – and to provide a sanctuary for creativity.

WOODSTOCK A-I-R encourages participants to pursue creative risk-taking in an environment rich in cultural resources. Working without distraction or interruption, participants focus intensely on their own work, continuing works in progress, setting goals for the future, and breaking new ground.

In 2012 CPW will offer 7 residencies for artists of color and 1 "critical studies residency" for a curator/critic of color. Residents receive 24/7 access to CPW’s workspace facilities (including black-&-white darkroom, digital imaging stations, and library), critical and technical support, stipend for food and travel, and honoraria. In addition, CPW extends participants opportunities in exhibition and publication to residents.

Each resident is provided accommodations at a historic artist residence located .5 miles from CPW and the center of Woodstock's business district. With quiet and solitude, yet, enlivened with a community of fellow artists, WOODSTOCK A-I-R participants work in an idyllic environment - a gathering place renowned for its vibrant cultural history.

For more information on WOODSTOCK A-I-R, feel free to contact CPW at (845) 679 9957 or at info@cpw.org.