Celebrating 50 years in 2024, Business / Arts is a national charitable organization that shows the power of partnership between business and arts.
Our mission is to champion business investment in the arts and build strong, lasting partnerships between the arts, business and government in Canada.
Business / Arts is uniquely positioned to bring together business, private patrons, government and the arts, all in the service of supporting the growth of Canada’s arts sector. We focus on three main objectives, which are relevant to the business, arts, government sectors, individually and collectively.
- To convene and lead
Business / Arts will source opportunities to bring together organizations and people to support the arts sector, locally and nationally.
- To support and facilitate
Business / Arts facilitates the sharing of much-needed information and resources across the arts sector, from our smallest community groups to our largest national organizations, and engages our key audiences across business and government.
- To share, amplify and advocate
We recognize and celebrate partnerships between business and the arts, profiling exceptional leadership in the business and arts community, sharing research, and providing a platform for innovative discussion and exchange of ideas.
Charitable # 118877471RR0001
Our Story
In 1974, Edmund C. Bovey and the Canada Council gathered together 50 CEOs from across Canada to rally business support for the arts. The group formed was called the Council for Business and the Arts in Canada, with Edmund C. Bovey as its founding Chair. Fifty years later, and now called Business / Arts, our founding mission remains the same: to continue to champion business investment in the arts and build strong, lasting partnerships between the arts, business and government in Canada.