Marketing & Communications

Business Arts Partnership

Three local businesses were awarded the Business Arts Partnership Award for their exemplary support of the arts at the Greater Columbus Arts Council's annual meeting, Tuesday, April 19 at the Ohio Statehouse Atrium.

Columbus City Council President, Matthew D. Habash presented the awards to this year's winners: Crane Group (large business category), nominated by the Columbus College of Art & Design (CCAD) and CAPA; Bricker & Eckler, LLP. (medium business category), nominated by the King Arts Complex; and Gandee & Associates (small business), nominated by the Chamber Music Connection.

Each business chosen for a Business Arts Partnership award received an original work of art by a local artist. This year's artists were Tony Mendoza, Mohamed-Saeed Omer, and Michael Sherman.

The Crane Group chosen as the winner in the large business category.

Crane Plastics, estabilished in 1947, is a family-driven group of six manufacturing companies now under the guidance of Tanny Crane. A leading supplier of custom plastic products, Crane Plastics employs 900 people in central Ohio. For more than 20 years, Crane Plastics and the Crane family have supported CCAD as exemplary leaders and trusted advisors. They have provided generous and steady financial support for numerous projects since the 1980's. They have also supported CAPA, most recently sponsoring Big River, an award-winning musical with an American Sign Language adaptation that uses hearing and non-hearing actors. The Crane Group received Mohamed-Saeed Omer's sculpture "Books II."

Bricker & Eckler LLP wins in medium business category.

Bricker & Eckler LLP was founded in Columbus in 1945. Bricker & Eckler LLP is one of Ohio's leading law firms. The firm represents individuals as well as corporations, nonprofit organizations, government agencies, health care facilities, school districts, and municipalities. Bricker & Eckler's Jerry Allen joined the board of the King Arts Complex shortly after it was opened and served as board president from 1991 - 1995. Through Jerry's board leadership during those early difficult years of institution building that required extraordinary commitments of time and talent, the King Arts Complex established a clear identity, image and season of programs that solidified its purpose. Following Jerry Allen, John Beavers joined the King Complex board and continued the firm's seamless support. Bricker & Eckler received Michael Sherman's ink on paper painting 3987 (Whitehall).

Gandee & Associates chosen best of small business.

Gandee & Associates specializes in environmental engineering. Gandee & Associates focusing mainly on asbestos, radon, indoor air quality and lead hazards in public and commercial facilities. Gandee & Associates was nominated by the Chamber Music Connection. Their support has included helping to found the Delaware Chamber Music Festival, advising Chamber Music Connection on not-for-profit management, providing office space, and providing unlimited copying supplies with use of copying machines, fax machines, computers and laser printers. Their support has allowed Chamber Music Connection to provide financial aid to deserving students and keep tuition at an accessible rate. Gandee & Associates received Tony Mendoza's photograph Zinnias in July.

Artistic Excellence for Restoration Project Awarded.

GCAC also presented its Artistic Excellence for Restoration Award — given to an arts organization that demonstrates innovation, risk, and artistic excellence in a performance, exhibition or program — to Fort Hayes Metropolitan Education Center's restoration of Emerson Burkhart's mural MUSIC.

The mural Music was painted by Columbus artists Emerson Burkhart in 1934 for the Columbus Board of Education with funds from the Public Works of Art project. It was painted on seven canvases and installed above the proscenium arch in the auditorium of Central High School. Four years after its installation Central's principal had the mural covered with whitewash because he considered it too risqué for high school students.

Through a unique partnership, approximately 1,000 students at Ft. Hayes worked over a six-year period to remove layers of overpaint and to restore the painted surface of the mural. It was precise and painstaking work, accomplished one square inch at a time. In early 2005 the mural was re-installed in its new home, the Columbus Convention Center, where residents and visitors can see the mural fully restored to its former beauty. The other Artistic Excellence nominees were:

BalletMet Columbus' production of EVOLUTION
The Columbus Symphony Orchestra's presentation of LORD OF THE RINGS SYMPHONY
MadLab Theatre's production of CLIFFHANGERS
Phoenix Theatre Circle's production of SEUSSICAL: THE MUSICAL
Barbara Thatcher Company's production of THRESHOLD

GCAC would like to acknowledge and thank Porter Wright Morris & Arthur, Time Warner Cable and NBC 4 for their sponsorship support of the 2005 Business Arts Partnership Awards.