Philosophically opposed though they may seem on the surface, art and business have always had a symbiotic relationship.In 15th-century Italy, the Medicis devoted a sizable chunk of their banking fortune to fund such Renaissance men as Da Vinci and Michelangelo. Over the years, that tradition has continued far beyond Florence — a partnership between money and artistry that forms the cultural bedrock of communities across the globe. B.C. is no exception.The “arts and culture grants” page on the City of Vancouver’s offi cial website (Vancouver.ca) sports a quote from Canadian artist Douglas Coupland: “A city without strong, consistent arts funding is basically a parking lot.” And though the city and Vancouver Park Board award upwards of $11 million annually in grants to artists, in order to keep the arts scene from being paved over, more is required.
Van Dop Gallery, by Trudy Van Dop
”Of course, giving back is not an entirely selfless act. As business gives to the arts, the arts give to business, in often-underappreciated ways.
“The bigger sponsors, they do it for a variety of diff erent reasons,” says Trudy Van Dop, founder of New Westminster’s Van Dop Gallery, and CEO of Van Dop & Associates a cultural marketing and art consulting fi rm. “Some of [the donations] are for tax benefi ts and some of them are for personal satisfaction.” She notes, the networking opportunities are also huge.
“Organizations that are supporting organizations like [local youth arts initiative] Arts Umbrella in a financially big way are doing it also for their business reputation, and to gain respect in the community and hopefully gain some clients through that sponsorship.”Meanwhile, when it comes to businesses in smaller communities, donating to the arts is an investment of a diff erent sort.
The galleries, theatres and museums of our province rely on donations from all corners of the community. That includes nonprofi ts, such as the Vancouver Foundation and local businesses, including Anna’s Cake House and London Drugs a billion-dollar retail chain that started out as a single pharmacy on Main Street in 1945.
“The arts are woven into the fabric of our communities,” says London Drugs CEO Brandt C. Louie, “and we take pride in supporting this sector . . . Giving back and making an impact in the local communities we serve is important to London Drugs, which is what led us to create the London Drugs Foundation more than 20 years ago.”Among the benefi ciaries of their philanthropy is the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra (VSO).
Angela Elster, president and CEO of both the VSO and its School of Music says, “The financial support which London Drugs provides, and our shared commitment to fostering youth development through access to music and music education, continue to enrich the lives of thousands of students participating in the VSO’s educational programs each year.
Brandt C. Louie, CEO London Drugs by H.Y. Louie
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“A city without strong, consistent arts funding is basically a parking lot.”
“It’s important, even to their own staff , that an arts council or a local theatre exists,” says Van Dop. “Who would want to move to a community that does nothing? It’s a draw for employers to bring employees in. I think most families want to have that access to creative programming. ”Uniquely positioned at the intersection of art and commerce, Van Dop’s official title is “cultural entrepreneur,” but she also sees herself as a philanthropist donating time and expertise on a grassroots level, largely by publishing BC’s Guide to Arts & Culture and its online platform, Art-BC.com. “I sort of look at what I do as helping organizations facilitate their marketing eff orts in an aff ordable manner, because a lot of them are dependent on government funding,” she says. “And government funding is not sustainable. The money’s here today and it’s gone tomorrow.”
As a gallery owner herself, Van Dop is well-versed in all of the arts scene’s tricky economic realities. She cites the public’s ongoing, post COVID wariness of gathering in crowds, the rising cost of living, the ever changing economics of marketing via social media and the lack of aff ordable venue space as key pitfalls for struggling artists. And unless a gallery, theatre or museum is a registered nonprofi t organization, there is no opportunity to apply for government grants.While we’re on the topic of “nonprofi ts,” Van Dop takes issue with the term. She believes a redefi nition is in order to recognize how those organizations function and the return on investment they yield.
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“Art stimulates and frames our views of nature, civilization and generally improves our understanding of ourselves and our surroundings.”
“I have, over the years, realized that there is no such thing as ‘nonprofi t,’” she says, “because every nonprofi t needs cash fl ow in order to survive. They’re actually ‘social profi t’ organizations that benefi t the fabric of their community. If someone’s knocking on your door looking for a donation or a sponsorship, and you look at it from that standpoint, it changes the mindset.”All told, whatever mix of economic upside and charitable spirit that may factor into the decision to donate, any burden of supporting the arts is a small one to bear when you consider the consequences — fi nancial and cultural — of letting them wither. “Art stimulates and frames our views of nature, civilization and generally improves our understanding of ourselves and our surroundings,” says Van Dop. “Shared humanity allows us to see that we are often facing the same issues, no matter who we are.”
