Lexington, KY - Working artists and business have not always enjoyed the most trusting of relationships. Many artists are wary of being asked to compromise their creative independence. Many businesses must control public perceptions of their brands. It’s a wall that has prevented fruitful communication between these worlds, not to mention mutually beneficial collaboration.
And that’s an issue the Kentucky Arts Council has set out to address.
Business leaders gathered Friday, October 26th for a lively panel discussion titled SMART STRATEGY: A Conversation with Kentucky Business Leaders Supporting the Arts. The meeting, hosted by the Arts Council and held at LexArts headquarters in Lexington consisted of three sessions with different moderators and panelists. The audience was a mix of business owners and managers, local artists and arts professionals.
After a welcome by Madeline Abramson, Board Chair of the Kentucky Center for the Performing Arts, the panel sessions got underway with The Arts and Economic Development-How the Arts Attract Businesses to Kentucky. The discussion, moderated by Marcheta Sparrow, Secretary of Kentucky’s state government’s Tourism Cabinet, featured panelists Craig Greenberg, President of 21 C Hotels; Tom Martin, Editor in Chief of Business Lexington; and Jeff Fugate, Executive Director of the Lexington Downtown Development Authority.
In this opening session, the contribution of the arts to the vitality of the city and the injection of creative thinkers and innovators into workplaces was discussed, along with how these elements influence the attraction of both employees and new businesses to a community.
Greenberg noted that a rich landscape of cultural arts drives commerce by attracting other businesses to locate here in Lexington or to attend meetings here which in turn benefits many Lexington businesses. He sees the arts as a core requirement for a city to grow and thrive. “At a time when many desirable employees and businesses can choose to go wherever they want, a thriving arts scene helps make Lexington a town people choose. There is a lot of competition now that boils down to more than house prices. It is about quality of life,” Greenberg commented.
Greenberg’s company is locating one of its 21c Hotels, featuring a contemporary art museum, in the heart of downtown Lexington.
Martin of Business Lexington and Smiley Pete Publishing added the importance of Lexington’s authenticity and how often that is a plus for our city. “People comment all the time that a decision to visit here or relocate here is based on the friendliness of Lexington’s people and that there is a lot to do that feels creative and engaging.” Martin pointed to a fresh and burgeoning local music scene with venues such as Willie’s and Natasha’s and locally-based WoodSongs and Red Barn radio programming that support the growth and marketing of Kentucky’s signature genre: bluegrass. And he cited the music trade organization, the Lexington Area Music Alliance, formed to frame the performance and production of local music as a recognized sector of the regional economy.
Jeff Fugate related his first hand experience with businesses complimenting the Thursday Night Live program in the Fifth Third Pavilion and the new public art piece Concordia by Dewitt Godfrey located atop the Downtown Arts Center. Fugate said he was aware that these visible expressions of Lexington’s arts community had been actual deal-sealers for businesses interested in locating in Lexington.
“What roll do the arts have in building Lexington’s brand,” he asked? “18 million dollars annually for the industry and that pays rents and stimulates downtown restaurants, hospitality and keeps downtown vibrant and not empty and boarded up,. Businesses need to be involved with the arts, to build partnerships and build bridges between the business and arts community.”
Session two was titled Community Development – Making a Strong Case for a Thriving Cultural Scene in the Community, moderated by Lindy Casebier, Deputy Secretary of the Tourism Arts and Heritage Cabinet. Panelists for Session II were Chip Banks, Senior Vice President of Investments with Farmer’s Bank, Jody Lassiter, President & CEO of Danville/Boyle County Economic Development Partnership and Lexington Mayor, Jim Gray. The opening comments of the second session began with Mayor Gray discussing a deliberate and intentional by Lexington’s business leadership to focus on the attractive quality of life Lexington offers when trying to recruit businesses to locate in Lexington. The mayor and Lassiter agreed that healthy arts environments are an important piece in marketing to global companies. Banks added that his community of Frankfort has found the arts to be the heart of the city and impetus for tremendous growth.
Mayor Gray spoke of the importance of seeing the arts as an industry with great impact. He reiterated that Lexington could be an important producer of artists and creative output and therefore an even bigger part of the regional and national economic conversation. Lassiter commented that no person considering a move for themselves or their business asks to see the bypass in his town but they always want to see art, nightlife, music and theater. Banks credits a growing art scene in Frankfort with stimulating his city’s economy after a bond issue helped establish the Grand Theatre. “Now people can enjoy the full experience- a great meal at a restaurant and an entertaining theatre production. We also now have a pottery place where you can even take a lesson. It draws people in and they come downtown,” he said.
In response to a question concerning how businesses can best collaborate with local arts groups, both Lassiter and Banks agreed: “Communication is key,” said Lassiter. It’s collaboration of projecting your image to the world.” Banks added, “Find like-minded groups and work toward a common goal.”
A third session moderated by Ed Lane, of Lane Communications featured panelists Deirdre Lyons, Director of Corporate Image and Design for Alltech, a Governor’s Arts Award winning company, Pearse Lyons President and Founder of Alltech, Roger Leasor, Director of Community and Government Relations with Liquor Barn, also a Governor’s Arts Award winner for support of the arts and Patrice Varni, Senior Vice President, Direct to Consumer with Tempur-Pedic, who recently chose Lexington as the national headquarters for their corporation. Varni spoke of the important role art is playing in the establishment of their new corporate headquarters. “We are creating a well-designed, art-filled workplace with an emphasis on inspiration,” explained Varni when describing the new soon-to-open facility in UK’s Coldstream Research Park. “We reached out to our executive team and all our employees to learn what resonated with people. We will even have places outdoors at our facility for the performing arts. This is not just an asset on the balance sheet. The arts will be an important part of our creative work environment,” Varni emphasized.
Deirdre Lyons commented on Alltech’s focus on sponsoring an abundance of art programs and scholarships in addition to careful attention to design details of their corporate building with an eye to creating not only the very best work environment but also bringing an asset to the cultural landscape of the area. Lyons described the work provided by local artisans on staircases and details throughout the building as well as original art throughout and carefully planned design details to provide an abundance of natural light. “People seem very happy with the building and we attribute that to the art and design,” said Lyons. “We use the same attention to the arts in all our facilities as well,” explained Lyons. Pearse Lyons added, “If I want to impress a customer, I bring them to our building.”
Leasor added, “Customers like being associated with a creative company. They respond to businesses that have an artistic and innovative association.”
Responding to the question, ‘How do you decide to invest in today’s times of limited money?” Leasor commented, “We try to ask the question, ‘Can we make a difference?’
Deirdre and Pearce Lyons both discussed their creation of educational scholarships such as an opera scholarship as well their wide range of support for the arts in many areas of the field. ‘We are asked every day,” said Pearse Lyons. “We choose what we are passionate about and we support all that we can. Money is one thing but it is what it is a catalyst for, what it generates throughout the community through art that is most important.”
A reception followed the panel discussion sessions to celebrate Alltech’s recent honor as the recipient of the 2012 BCA 10 Award from Americans for the Arts Business Committee for the Arts, recognizing the nation’s top companies supporting the arts. Alltech was honored for32 years of globally and locally supporting the arts and believing the arts to be an essential part of a strong, thriving community and for attracting and retaining bright, creative employees.