Arts Alliance aims to provide leadership, advocacy, services, and resources to the South Hampton Roads arts community.

Communities across the nation have discovered two things: that culture is good for business and that investment in the arts makes sense. One of the greatest strengths of a vibrant arts community is its ability to attract other business. The South Hampton Roads area in Virginia is proud to have an active and growing cultural community. The arts in this area reach audiences of more than 1 million people annually.

For more than 30 years, the Business Consortium for Arts Support has done exactly what its name implied: Collected and distributed donations from businesses and foundations to fund local non-profit arts organizations through grants. Originally based on a national “United Arts Fund” model of pooling resources, the approach became more and more dated as corporations shifted their own funding models or relocated to different areas. Simultaneously, a new need for overall regional arts leadership has emerged to view the sector as a whole and to unite and organize arts projects and local advocacy. 

The newly named Arts Alliance adds leadership, advocacy, and services to its historical financial funding. Since its establishment in 1987, the organization has granted over $25 million in general operating support to over 65 arts and cultural organizations in the South Hampton Roads area. “Arts Alliance is a new name, but our belief remains that art is crucial to the creation of a vibrant community,” stated Walker Phillips, President of Arts Alliance. “We welcome businesses, foundations, and individuals to join us in celebrating and supporting our local arts groups.”  

Arts Alliance will seek to stand as a backbone of arts sector leadership with the creation of a new Advisory Committee. With the goal of attracting passionate arts patrons to partner on specific projects, Advisory Committee Chair Lewis Webb stated, “Growth happens when business and volunteer arts leaders collaborate in support of the arts and our incredible arts groups. We are committed to bringing arts advocacy and new ideas to our region.” 

Under the new name, Arts Alliance will continue to provide services for artists and arts employees such as Wills for the Arts, an annual program hosted by member law firms to provide life and estate planning documents for eligible artists and arts group employees. More than 70 arts families have been assisted through this program during the last three years. Additional services (coming soon!) will include financial planning and budgeting seminars, as well as artist networking events and collaboration platforms. 

Arts Alliance is funded through business and foundation support that is distributed annually to local organizations that apply and demonstrate artistic quality and fiscal responsibility. Beginning in 2022, the organization will also accept individual contributions to be allocated through grants to these deserving arts groups.

Grant recipients in 2022 include large organizations such as Virginia Opera, Virginia Stage Company, Virginia Symphony, and the Chrysler Museum. But they also include smaller, specialized groups such as Bay Youth Orchestras, which feature young musicians from throughout Hampton Roads, and the Tidewater Classical Guitar Society, which presents classical and flamenco guitar performances.